A Memory in the Darkness
by SNOzzie6
Summary: In an abyss of nothing, Hallie awakes with no memory of her past. Guided to the Realm of Light by strange but familiar voices, she meets Sora, Donald, and Goofy. As a gypsy's fortune slowly unravels and comes to pass, Hallie learns that her role in this adventure is far greater than she'd ever imagine, and the deadly secrets of her past are catching up to her quickly.
1. Tarot Cards

_**Memories are a crazy thing.**_

_**They can bring comfort a tortured soul.**_

_**They can warm the coldest heart.**_

_**They can bring light to the deepest darkness.**_

_**But I will use my memories**_

_**To connect our hearts together**_

_**and find you.**_

**CHAPTER ONE**

There is a fine line between dreams and reality. But when the two combine together, that's when things get really crazy.

Black was all I could see where I was. My arms and legs were extremely sore as if I just finished some hardcore training or exercising.

_How did I get here?_ I thought as I searched through my brain.

But I couldn't remember anything except one person and a few voices:

_"...One day you will receive the mystical power of the Keyblade. One day you will follow in my footsteps. One day, Kingdom Hearts will be ours..."_

_"...I can feel the light inside of her... but it is in danger..."_

_"...Not bad for an amateur..."_

_"...I'm sorry, but I need to do this..."_

The last voice I recognized as my own, but the rest I could not match a face to and none of them belonged to the one person I could remember.

My thoughts were interrupted when a small orb of light appeared in front of me. I reeled back in surprise. The orb floated in front of me. I stared at it and slowly raised my hand up to touch it. Suddenly, it spun around me, starting at my feet and making its way up until it was a foot from my face. It paused for a moment before zooming off into the darkness.

"Hey, wait!" I called. I ran after it, slowly catching up to the speeding orb. When I was close enough, I reached forward to grab it. As my hands closed around the ball, it suddenly vanished. I stopped and took deep breaths.

She sat at a table, flipping a deck of cards in her hands. An old gypsy woman, with wiry gray hair and dozens of rings on her fingers, concentrated on mixing around the cards before her. I watched her in wonder as the cards shuffled perfectly together. The woman stopped and looked up at me. I gulped and looked away for a few moments. When I returned my gaze to her, she was now the one watching me. The woman gave me a friendly smile that seemed to calm all of my nerves and warm my heart. The woman reached out a tender hand and beckoned me over. I walked slowly over to her and sat down at the chair across from her.

"Hello, my dear." the woman said. Her voice was smooth and kind. If she changed her clothing so they were more modern, she could probably pass off as my grandmother... if I could remember what she looked like. Or who she was. "Would you like a tarot card reading?"

"What's that?" I asked.

"It's when I tell you your future with fortune cards."

"Okay, then..."

"May I ask for your name first?"

"Hallie. Hallie Knowles."

"How old are you, Hallie?"

"Sixteen."

"My, such a grown young woman." the woman said, holding her hand over her heart and smiling.

She moved swiftly and gracefully as she shuffled the cards. One by one, she laid out sixteen cards.

"Pick three, please." the woman said.

I observed the purple swirled backs of the cards. Slowly and hesitantly, I picked three cards and handed them to the woman. She looked at the cards and a look of surprise flashed on her face, but it quickly melted into a big smile. She put down the first card and I flinched. The card showed a picture of me holding a weapon shaped like a key. Behind me were a few figures, but I couldn't make out who or what they were.

"You will go on an incredible journey, traveling to all kinds of places and meet many new people..."

She put down the second card. It showed one half of my face, but my hair looked as if it was cut short, like a boy's. The other half was blacked out.

"You will discover yourself in an unexpected way, but you will also discover the truth... pleasant and unpleasant."

I raised my eyebrow. The woman put down the last card, which revealed a heart with a very secure lock on it. Behind the heart were two more key weapons like in the first card crossed together in an X.

"You will find what you were searching for, and you will find what your heart has searched for." The woman stood up and her eyes twinkled. "What you thought was lost forever will be found, and you will find the key that unlocks your heart."

"Find the key that unlocks my heart?" I said as the woman walked over to me. "What in the world does that mean?"

"You will have to find that out for yourself." the woman said. She laid the cards in my hands, leaned over, and put a hand on my shoulder. I think I saw some brown hair peeking out from the gray. "But you must always remember to stay on the path of light, even when it seems like there is nothing but darkness up ahead. Along this journey, there will be happiness, laughter, and love, but there will also be sorrow, tears, and pain. Hallie... you must be strong and fight for what is right."

"...What?" I said, feeling ashamed for being hopelessly baffled by this lovely speech. The woman only smiled.

"The expectations others have for you are great, but you are the one that decides what you do with your legacy. Only you are able to decide where your destiny will take you."

I looked down at my cards as confusion and frustration crashed around inside of me.

"But I don't-"

I looked up but the woman was gone. The table, the other cards, gone. I stood up from my chair and it vanished as well. In their place was a mirror-like wall. I stared at my reflection. My straight brown hair cascaded down my back and over my shoulders, ending at armpit length. I reached up and gingerly touched the waterfall braid that curved along the back of my head. My amber eyes glistened with utmost confusion. I wore a sleeveless shirt with a white strap over the left shoulder, patterned with wide stripes: black, red, white, and pale blue. Over my shirt was an open, black, sleeveless Victorian Steampunk tailcoat. I wore midthigh, dark denim shorts that were cuffed and slightly distressed. I wore dark brown buckle boots that reached up to my shins, with red shin-high socks peeking up at the top. A skinny, black, studded belt hooked around my shorts. I lifted my right arm up to my face and examined the thin leather wraparound cords that began at my wrist and ended at the crease of my elbow. My left hand donned a black, french lace, fingerless bridal glove.

I looked down at the first card, the one of me holding the key weapon. I sighed and reached out my arm. A light shone in front of me and I curled my fingers around it. The light disappeared and there, in my hand, was the key weapon, or in other words, the Keyblade.

Chaos Ripper.


	2. Familiarity

**CHAPTER TWO**

As I wandered around in the void of nothing, the gypsy's words of wisdom played on repeat in my head.

_Okay, so great adventure, I'll discover myself in an unexpected way, I'll find the key to my heart, and something about truth and destiny... whatever THAT means._ _How can I get any of that accomplished if I'm stuck here?_

The sound of a child's laughter filled my ears.

"Hallie!" I gasped at the sound of my name. It belonged to a little boy. I looked around, but I was the only one here in this pit of nothing. "Hallie!"

This time the voice belonged to a little girl. They were both calling me. My feet took control and I slowly walked forward.

"Hallie!"

_Why do those voices sound so familiar?_

"Hallie!"

The voice that called me this time was of a teenage boy. I gasped.

"Where are you?" I called.

"Hallie!" He called again.

I transitioned from a walk to a sprint. The sound of children laughing and his voice calling my name occupied the space. I stopped and leaned over to catch my breath.

"I can't see you. Where are you?" I said. I could feel a lump in my throat, which meant that it was only a matter of time before I would start crying. "Someone get me out of here, please!"

Before my eyes, the outline of a door appeared and then it became whole. It was white with light detailing around the edges. A large keyhole shimmered in the center. Chaos Ripper appeared in my hand. I looked at it for a few moments before slowly raising it up to the door. Light collected at the tip of the Keyblade and shot a beam into the keyhole. There was a "click" and the door opened. The light chased away the darkness that was around me.

My name was called one last time, a mixture of the little boy, the little girl, and him. Their collected voices were coming from whatever was beyond this door. I saw a hand reach out from the light towards me: pale, feminine, tender, and covered by a tan fingerless glove. I reached out and took her hand, feeling the rough material. I floated forward into the light. It felt so warm, so comforting. I could feel my muscles relax and my eyelids droop.

"Who... are you?" I said.

I heard a light chuckle. Another hand appeared, holding a golden ribbon.

"An old friend." she said.

Our hands fell apart and I was bathed in light. However, I rather much preferred the endless light than the endless darkness.

* * *

><p>I opened my eyes and gasped to see colors besides black and white. I was in a town. It was quiet with stone buildings and colored rooftops. In the distance I saw a colossal castle hanging above the town with strange pipes and construction swirling around it.<p>

_Where am I?_

I stood up and walked along the streets of the town, passing by shops run by triplet ducklings and people quietly talking to each other. As I walked, I saw a girl with short black hair and dressed like a modern-day ninja run by.

"Excuse me." I said. "What is this place?"

"Why, this is Hollow Bastion!" the girl said. She walked closer to me and examined me. "A tourist that doesn't even know what world she's in? You don't see that everyday! Who are you?"

"World?" I said. "I'm Hallie, and I'm not really a tourist. I just arrived here and I have no idea what to do."

"Oh, my!" the girl said. "Well, I'm Yuffie. Nice to meet you!"

She reached her hand out. As I extended my arm, pools of darkness surrounded us. Heartless crawled from the pools and appeared out of the air. They charged for us. I summoned Chaos Ripper.

"Yuffie, take cover!" I cried.

Yuffie took a moment to gawk at my Keyblade before running to hide. A Shadow lunged at me. I slashed my Keyblade and it dissolved into darkness. A Soldier spun at me like a cyclone. I spun my Keyblade, knocking it away and leaving it staggering around. I lunged forward and stabbed it in the chest. It writhed and dissolved into the ground.

"Look out!" Yuffie called.

I turned my head as a Shadow emerged from the ground. It jumped and slashed its claws, striking me in the back. I winced in pain and jumped back and up into the air. I chucked my Keyblade. It charged toward the Heartless and cut through them like a hot knife through butter. I reached out and summoned Chaos Ripper back to my side and I slammed it into the ground, destroying the last Heartless. I remained on one knee as the rush of excitement that coursed through my veins began to subside. I took a deep breath and smirked. I didn't so much as break a sweat. Fighting felt so natural to me, like I've done this before. But _when_? I stood up and Yuffie came running over to me.

"That... was..." Yuffie said.

_Great. I haven't even been here 10 minutes and already I'll be nicknamed the town freak._

"INCREDIBLE!" Yuffie cried. "I can't believe it! Another Keyblade wielder!"

I paused. "Another?"

"Yeah! Wow, this is amazing! You should meet him and the others!"

"Him? Others?" I said, but Yuffie was too busy chattering away, she didn't hear me. She grabbed my arm. "Come on!"

"Wait a minute, Yuffie." I said. I wrenched myself free from her grasp. "I don't know about this. I'm sure your friends are nice and all, but I have a schedule of mine I need to take care of."

"Are you sure?" Yuffie said, pouting her lip and looking at me with puppy eyes.

"Yuffie, I-" I said.

_Go with her._ Him again. I gasped and turned around. No one was there.

"Hallie?" Yuffie said. I looked at the ground and clenched my fists. I took a deep breath. I looked back at her with a smile on my face.

"All right then. I'll meet your friends." I said.

"Great! Come on!" Yuffie grabbed my hand and dragged me through the streets of Hollow Bastion. As we ran, I turned my gaze to the castle. A dull pain throbbed in my brain.

Yuffie brought me to a little house. She opened the door and pulled me inside.

"Hey, guys!" Yuffie said.

There were about 7 or 8 people in the room and they all turned and stared at me. I gulped, which was pointless because my throat felt like it was closing up. I figured that if I tried to open my mouth, a helpless squeak would be the only thing that would come out.

"This is Hallie. Hallie, meet the Hollow Bastion Restoration Committee!" Yuffie turned to me with a big grin.

My eyes found their way to a pair of blue irises that calmed my nerves. The familiarity that came with the relief was unusual. Connected to those eyes was a boy standing next to a dog and a duck. He was watching me thoughtfully with his arms crossed. I held my hands together behind me and looked at the ground nervously.

"Wait until you see the best part. Come on, Hallie, show them!" Yuffie said, nudging my side with her elbow.

"Huh?" I said, feeling my ears grow hot. I stretched out my hand in front of me and paused before summoning Chaos Ripper in my right hand.

Everyone stared at me in shock. I glanced at the boy with blue eyes. His raised his eyebrows and smiled. He reached out his hand and a Keyblade, Kingdom Key, appeared in his right hand.

"Another Keyblade wielder." Leon said. "Seems like just about anyone can get one these days."

"Leon, you know that's not the case." a girl wearing a pink dress and boots said.

My instincts told me to run. I slowly backed against the door and reached for the doorknob. The blue-eyed boy noticed. He dispelled his Keyblade and approached me.

"I'm Sora." the boy said. "Nice to meet you. That's Donald and Goofy over there."

"I'm Hallie..." I said. "but, um... you already knew that..."

Sora smiled and offered me his hand. I stared at it for a moment before reaching out and taking it. As we shook, I heard a clicking sound, like someone just unlocked a door in an echo-y room. I craned my head around.

"Did you hear that?" I said.

"No. Hear what?" Sora said.

"Um... never mind." I realized that our hands were still together. I yanked it away and stepped back. "So, what brings you to Hollow Bastion?"

"We're traveling to save the worlds!" Goofy exclaimed. I raised my eyebrow.

"This is great! Hallie could come with us!" Donald said.

My face flushed. "Excuse me?"

"Yes, I do believe Hallie would make an excellent addition to the team and to the Committee." an old man dressed in blue robes said. He stroked his long white beard.

"Team? What team? I don't-"

"Perfect! They won't know what hit 'em!" Yuffie cried, pumping her fist in the air.

A lump began to form in my throat and a cold sweat trickled down my back.

"Hallie?" Sora said. I flinched and reached for the doorknob. I yanked the door open and ran out. "Hallie, wait!"

* * *

><p>I continued to run. As I ran, Heartless appeared around me, but I slashed my way through with ease. I ran up to the bailey's balcony and rested my forehead on the cold stone edge. I gulped in air and tried my best to ease my racing heart. I lifted my head and took in the view of the gigantic castle before me. I reached out in front of me and summoned Chaos Ripper. The castle blurred in the background.<p>

_"...the Keyblade. A mysterious yet powerful weapon capable of unlocking any link, any door, any heart... Someday soon you will receive a Keyblade. You will have the opportunity to become a Keyblade Master..."_

"Absolutely not." I mumbled in reply to the voice speaking in my head. The voice sounded familiar, but again, no face matched it. In fact, there wasn't even a face that I could think of. My mind remained blank. I shook my head. "Fortune or no fortune, I won't do this."

_But how will you keep your promise?_

I tensed up and I looked around, but no one was there.

_That sounded like... no. There's no way..._ I thought.

"The Keyblade... a truly marvelous weapon." a voice said. "Were it only in more... capable hands..."

I gasped and looked around as laughter filled the air.

"Who's there?!" I cried.

A portal of darkness opened above me, revealing a man dress in a black cloak. Slowly, he raised his arms and 5 more men appeared dress the same.

"Who... who are you?" I said, taking a step back.

"Organization XIII!" I jumped as I saw Donald, Goofy, and Sora standing behind me with their weapons drawn.

"Good, now we can settle this!" Sora said, clenching his fist.

"Organization... XIII?" I said.

"What a shame..." the first cloaked man said with fake offense. "How could you have forgotten about me, Hallie? After everything we've been through!"

"What are you talking about? I don't know you!"

The group of men laughed as they disappeared into darkness. My heart rate picked up as I ran towards the steps. Another portal of darkness appeared and a cloaked man stood in front of me. I cried out and stumbled back, tripping and landing on my butt.

"Oopsy-daisy!" the man said. He chuckled. "I guess I underestimated you. I thought you'd charge at me head on with that Keyblade of yours, but here you are instead shaking in your boots like a little baby. I guess even with her magic, she couldn't cure your cowardice."

"What are you talking about?!" I said.

"Hey, move it!" Sora said.

The man turned to the three behind me.

"Now do you think that's polite, shutting me down like that?" he said.

"I said get out of the way!"

"As if! You can talk all you want, but that won't change a thing."

"Then we're gonna MAKE you move!" Donald said, readying his magic staff.

"See, that would work... if I was any old dude." the man said. "'Cept I'm not. I'm with the Organization. Nothing "any old" about me."

"The Organization?" I said, slowly getting to my feet. Chaos Ripper appeared automatically in my hand.

"Guess you finally got your big girl pants on now." the man said. I could hear the smirk in his tone. "Why don't I remind you how tough the crowd you're dealing with really is?"

"Remind us?" Sora said. He glared at him and gripped his Keyblade tighter.

The man let out a hearty laugh. "That's RIGHT! He used to give me that same exact look!"

Why did I feel like I knew who he was talking about? My face felt hot and I reached up and covered my cheek with my hand. The man turned to me and his hidden smirk deepened.

"Oh, _now_ I get what he was talking about." he said. "Boy, this is a doozy..."

"I guess you can psych us out by saying really random stuff!" Sora said.

"Believe me or not, what I say is true." the man said. "Catch'ya later, Hallie!"

The man saluted as he disappeared into a portal of darkness. My feet urged me to run.

"Hallie?" Sora said as I took a step forward. He walked over to me. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, yeah, definitely. I meet you complete strangers with no knowledge or memory of my life or self, yet you expect me to suddenly plunge myself into whatever danger you may have... But it looks like that's already been done!" I said. I chuckled bitterly, then I growled and stabbed Chaos Ripper into the ground. "OF COURSE I'M NOT OKAY!"

Sora stared at me with wide eyes. I looked down at my hands and traced the cords on my arm.

"I'm sorry." I said.

"It's... it's okay." Sora said.

I sighed and looked at Sora. He had that thoughtful look in his eye again.

"Why do you keep staring at me like that?"

"Because... you remind me of me." I chuckled. "No, really. You know, despite a few things. I was confused. And lost too." Sora chuckled at the memory and turned towards the castle. He gazed up at it and I watched him.

"But the biggest thing that I see is your potential." Sora continued. "We didn't mean to scare you off... but what lies ahead of us is big. You know, when we arrived at Hollow Bastion, I got this weird feeling. Like I would meet something who would be really important in my journey. Maybe it's you."

I chuckled, this time teemed with sarcasm and disbelief. Sora turned his eyes to me.

"I'm not forcing you to do anything. If you don't want to join us, it's fine. I won't be mad. But, I think if you come with us..."

"I'll go with you."

Sora looked shocked, but his eyes twinkled with excitement. "Really? You mean that?"

"Yes." I said. "I guess you convinced me. If you need me to help you, I will. Besides... this journey might be fun."

Sora grinned from ear to ear. Donald and Goofy jumped in the air, clearly showing signs that they were eavesdropping. I couldn't help but smile a little

_And maybe, just maybe, I'll finally find him..._


	3. A Vital Role

**CHAPTER THREE**

Sora returned to Merlin's house to tell everyone the good news. It'd be a long time before I would want to face those people again. As I waited outside, Sora, Donald, and Goofy came out a few minutes later.

"So, since we're planning on saving the worlds, how are we going to get to them?" I said. My tone oozed with skepticism.

The boys looked at each other.

"To the gummy ship!" Donald cried.

I raise my eyebrow as the three ran off, so I followed them. The first thing that popped into my head was that we would be flying world to world to world in a ship made of candy. When I saw the Gummi ship, I was rather disappointed to see no candy whatsoever, but I was intrigued by the material and ship itself.

"Impressive, huh?" Sora said.

"A little, I guess." I said. "You do have experience with these things, right?"

"Define experience..."

Sora plopped down at the driver's seat and ran his hands over the colorful buttons.

"Hang on a minute." I said. "Do you even have an idea about where we're going first?"

Sora turned his chair to me.

"I do, in fact." he said. "There's someone you need to talk to before we starting traveling to worlds."

"Oh, really?" I said, putting my hand on my hip. "Who?"

Sora smirked. "You'll have to wait and see."

I let out a sharp exhale of frustration out my nose. I sat down in the seat next to Sora and crossed my arms. Sora pressed a button and the ship hummed to life. Donald and Goofy entered that ship and sat down in the chairs behind us.

"You might want to hold onto something." Sora said and gripped the steering wheel. "The first time is always the worst."

I clutched the arm rests of my chair and planted my feet onto the ground. Sora pressed a few buttons and the ship jerked forward a few feet before it tilted violently and we zoomed up into the sky.

"Whoa!" I cried, pressing my back into my chair. The Gummi ship continued to fly up. A portal opened up in the sky. We flew through it and we were now in space. My whole body was aching from my muscles being tensed up to prevent myself from being flung across the ship.

"I told you." Sora said. I side-glared at him.

We were now flying a straight and smooth course through the purple and black voids of space.

"Now, who is this person of great importance that I need to speak to?" I said.

"We're almost there..." Sora said.

I saw something floating in the distance. As we got closer, I saw that it was a world. Seated at the top was a tall tower extending into space. A purple train was circling around it. Sora drove the Gummi ship into the world. We landed and climbed out. I strained my neck looking up at the looming tower.

"Wow." I said, rubbing the back of my neck.

"Come on!" Donald said. "Yen Sid is waiting for us!"

"Yen Sid?" I said.

"Yeah. He's a really powerful sorcerer." Sora said. "I bet he's actually expecting you."

_Who isn't?_ I scoffed.

We walked up the stairs to the door. The towering skyscraper made me nervous, and Sora caught it.

"Don't worry." Sora said.

"Worrying seems like the perfect thing to do." I said.

We pushed the door open and craned our necks up at the long spiral staircase on the other side. It took a good amount of time and complaining before we made it to the top. I walked up to the door and reached out to open it, but suddenly it opened by itself. I retreated my hand back to my side and Sora, Donald, and Goofy walked through the door. Sora turned back to me.

"Come on, don't be shy." Sora said. He reached out his hand to me. I took it.

Another clicking sound. I assumed it was the door.

He dragged me into the room. There were windows shaped like crescent moons and stars that gave you a view of the starry sky. Several small bookshelves were scattered across the room. There was a large wooden desk with a large melted candle on the corner. Across the desk was a large chair with a back that almost reached the ceiling. Seated in the chair was a tall, elderly man with large beady eyes, a long grey beard, and he was wearing blue robes and a tall blue pointy hat with stars and a crescent moon on it.

"Sora. You have returned." the man said. His eyes narrowed on me. "Welcome, Hallie."

I placed one foot behind me, ready to take off. "How do you know my name?"

The man held out his hands.

"Please. Do not be afraid. I am Yen Sid." the man said.

He dismissed Sora, Donald, and Goofy. I stood at the other side of the desk holding my arms stiffly at my side.

"How do you know me?" I said.

"I have expected you, Hallie. For ten years." Yen Sid said.

"TEN YEARS?!" My eyes widened. "I've never met you before in my life!"

"Indeed. We have never met in the past, but one day many years ago, my former apprentice Mickey came to me telling me about you."

"Mickey? I don't know a Mickey."

Yen Sid raised his hand and a hologram of a short and small mouse dress similarly like Sora stood nearby me. I cried out in surprise, but slowly it turned into intrigue. I swept my hand across the hologram's face. Yen Sid cleared his throat. I jumped back and stood at attention.

"Sorry. You were saying?"

"You see, ten years ago, there were three young Keyblade wielders who were traveling the worlds on a very important mission. Mickey and a Keyblade wielder met a young girl in a town called Radiant Garden who had a knowledge of the Keyblade and perhaps many other peculiar subjects. Mickey and the Keyblade wielder sensed a light inside of the girl. Her light was of the greatest strength and power that they had ever seen, but they also sensed that it had undergone a corruption process and, if nothing was done, the light and the child would be destroyed. Mickey returned to me and told me of the girl. At the time, I too could sense the imposing darkness lingering in this young child's innocent heart."

"And that girl... was me?"

Yen Sid nodded. "You do not recall?"

"No! I can't 'recall' anything! Nothing! Zilch! All I know is that I was wondering around in a void of nothing for who knows how long, receive a fortune from a mysterious gypsy woman that makes no sense to me, wandered around in nothing again, wound up in Hollow Bastion, and now I'm about to travel around with a teenage boy, a duck, and a dog." I huffed in anger. "My mind has been an empty canvas and I don't know why. All I remember is one face and a few voices."

Yen Sid leaned forward and folded his hands together.

"And who might this face be?" Yen Sid.

I blushed. "Um... no one special." I said. "Why can't I remember anything?"

Yen Sid leaned back again. "I do not know, Hallie. I assume that it may be the forces of darkness acting ferociously against you. That is why I wish for you to go with Sora on his adventure."

"I already agreed to go with him."

"Yes, but do you know what he is doing?"

"No, he hasn't told me."

Yen Sid proceeded to tell me; There is a group of Nobodies- the leftover remains of a strong-hearted person who has turned into a Heartless- called Organization XIII, the group of people who I met back at Hollow Bastion. They plan to gather hearts to seek the power of Kingdom Hearts so they can regain their lost hearts and become their own beings. In the meantime, Sora is searching for his friends, but Yen Sid didn't bother to tell me their names.

Yen Sid explained to me more about the Heartless and Nobodies, to the discovery of me somehow already knowing everything there is about them, but my mind was still caught on the explanation of Kingdom Hearts. I found myself in disbelief about that.

_Kingdom Hearts is much more than that. The Organization doesn't know what they're dealing with..._ I thought. I clenched my fists, but then I stopped myself. _Why am I getting so hung up and angry about this? Yen Sid is a powerful and wise sorcerer. I shouldn't doubt what he is teaching me._

"Hallie." I snapped back into reality. "It is obvious that you were a bit reluctant when it came to joining Sora on his journey, and I wish that not be the case. You play a vital role in what is happening now and the events yet to come. Your decisions and actions along your journey will decide whether you are fit to be a warrior of light or a servant of darkness. You are the only one capable of controlling your destiny."

"Like what the gypsy said." I whispered.

"These are dark times that the worlds are facing. You and Sora are the beacons that must shine forth, vanquish the darkness, and return the worlds to light." Yen Sid said. "Are there any further questions you may have?"

_Yeah. What is it with this Kingdom Hearts contraption and why is everyone obsessed with it? What are these voices that I keep hearing in my head? Again, why can't I remember anything? _I thought. _Will I ever be able to find HIM again?_

"No." I said, bowing and making my way for the door. "Thank you, Yen Sid. Your teachings won't go to waste."

Yen Sid nodded. "Hallie, there is one more thing that you need to know."

"What is it?"

"The heart is a delicate entity. Our deepest hopes can turn into the harshest disappointments, which can lead people astray into the depths of darkness. Remember that although your heart might lead you into troubling situations, it also has the power to lead you through them."

I nodded and self-consciously fingers the cords on my arm.

"Anything else?"

"A true relationship is when you can tell each other anything and everything. No secrets and no lies." Yen Sid smiled. "In the end, you'll know which people really love you. They're the ones who see you for who you are and no matter what, always find a way to be at your side."

I blushed and stared at the floor for a moment. "Thank you, Yen Sid." I exited the room. Sora, Donald, and Goofy jumped to their feet at the sound of the door slamming.

"So, what did Yen Sid talk to you about?" Goofy asked.

"That's a secret." I said.

"Oh, come on! I want to know!" Sora stomped his foot into the ground and crossed his arms like a child.

"In due time, Sora." I said. "I want to save my energy for climbing down these stairs."


	4. Guardian

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Our first world had bamboo forests as far as the eye could see. We exited the gummy ship and my first instinct was to hack off all of these frustrating bamboo trees that threatened to whack me in the face. We followed a dirt path until we heard voices.

"Whatever, you're just scared. Admit it!" one voice said.

"Aren't you?" another voice said.

We peeked around a bush and saw a soldier dressed in green, black, and tan armor. They had black hair pulled back into a little bun. They were standing before a large black shadow of what looked like a dragon lizard standing over a pile of rocks.

"A Heartless?" Donald said.

"Let's get the jump on 'em!" Sora said.

"Gawrsh, maybe we'd better look before we leap!" Goofy said, but Donald and Goofy ignored him. They ran forward.

A tiny red dragon came scurrying out of the rocks. The soldier and the dragon cowered and ducked away. Sora and Donald stopped. Goofy and I stepped beside them.

"Is that Mushu?" Goofy said.

"That's right, I know you heard of me! I'm little, lethal, and legendary!" the dragon popped out from behind the soldier's shoulder. "Now y'all _scram_ before I get my dragon dander up!"

"Hey, Mushu! We missed you!" Sora said.

"Well you better HOPE I miss YOU, or else you're- you're..." Mushu said. He saw the three and stopped. "...Sora! Donald! Goofy!

"Do you know them?" the soldier said. Mushu jumped off of the soldier's shoulder and walked towards us.

"KNOW them?! Man, we used to kick all kinds of bad guy butt together! Yeah, you know, I helped these guys out of a lot of tight spots." Mushu leaned against Sora's ankle. "'Cause I'm a mighty dragon! Right?"

Sora stepped back and Mushu tumbled sideways. "Something like that." Sora chuckled. "And... you are?"

The soldier scrambled up to his feet. "I'm Mulan- um, no, I-I mean..." His voice sounded rather feminine.

"Ping!" Mushu interjected.

"Mulan Ping?" Donald crossed his arms.

"Just... Ping." the soldier said. His voice was suddenly deeper. I smirked. "I am Ping, son of Fa Zhou."

"You know Mushu?" Sora said.

"Mushu's one of my family's guardians."

"We didn't know we were borrowin' somebody as important as a family guardian." Goofy said.

"Yeah, that's right!" Mushu said. "And that puts you three up to your eyeballs in debt to Ping here. Well, guess what, kiddies? It's payback time!"

Sora propped his elbow onto his arm and rested his chin on his hand. "Hmm, sounds fair."

"See, Ping here was just on his way to join the Imperial army." Mushu said, periodically switching between Ping's shoulders. "We gotta go find the other recruits over at the training camp."

"Would you join us? It'll be easier to fit in if I'm with guys, like you." Ping said.

"What do you mean "fit in"?" Sora said.

Mushu cleared his throat. "Well, um, uh, don't- don't worry about that."

I grinned and crossed my arms. "You're pretending to be a boy, aren't you?"

Sora and Donald looked at Goofy and I, then back at Ping.

"HUH?!" they cried. "You're a GIRL?!"

Ping smiled. "You didn't notice?"

Sora and Donald shook their heads.

"I think it's working." Ping said.

"I don't know..." Mushu crossed his arms. "Those two would fall for anything."

"I'm right here!" Sora said as Ping and Mushu walked on by. I suppressed a smile as we followed them.

* * *

><p>As we approached the camp, there were soldiers dressed in red, white, and black, standing like statues in a line.<p>

"Remember, girl- man-ly!" Mushu whispered to Ping.

Ping straightened up and stumbled forward awkwardly yet confidently, overly swinging his arms and bending his knees in as he walked. I sighed and walked past him. Sora stood in line. A stout, short man with a black eye to match his black hair shoved Sora back as he stood in his spot.

"'Bout time we got some grub." the man mumbled.

Sora stumbled backwards and caught himself. "Hey, no cutting!"

"Get out!" Donald stomped his foot.

The man turned around and, with an angry grunt, punched Sora in the face. Sora cried out and fell to the ground, cringing in pain. Donald mumbled under his breath and rolled up his sleeve. He tackled the man, who I have dubbed Mr. Punchy, to the ground and started smacking him around.

"Get off!" Mr. Punchy cried.

"Hey, a space in line!" a scrawny man in yellow armor pushed Mr. Punchy and Donald.

"I wonder what they're serving for lunch today." a tall, bald, and plump man said, rubbing his stomach and using it to shove everyone out of his way.

"Knuckle sandwiches!" Mr. Punchy said, lunging at the two men with his fist clenched. Donald tackled the scrawny man to the ground while Sora pulled on Mr. Punchy's bun, both dodging their punches. The plump man stood there, contentedly rubbing his stomach.

"Shouldn't someone do something?" Goofy said.

Ping watched the kerfuffle playing out before us, looking back and forth in a panic. I sighed and stepped forward.

"HEY!" I screamed. My voice echoed through the entire camp, catching the attention of the other soldiers. Everyone turned to me.

Mr. Punchy clenched his fist.

"What's a GIRL doing here?" he said. "There's no place for them here!"

"Okay, then, why don't you leave?" I said. The scrawny man laughed and Mr. Punchy growled and shoved him aside. "Now, _knock it off_!"

"Knock what off?" Mr. Punchy said nonchalantly.

"You PUNCHED me!" Sora said.

"Cutting in line!" Donald said.

"What a shrimp!" the scrawny man chuckled.

"Who you callin' a shrimp, panda lips?! I'm a bona fide guardian dragon!" Mushu cried. "You say that to my face, you limp noodle!" Ping muffled Mushu and shoved him back into his armor.

"L-let's just get back in line, okay?" Ping said.

"Whose side are you guys on? I just got slugged!" Sora said.

"Want some more?" Mr. Punchy taunted. Sora jumped back.

"_Soldiers! Get back in line!_" a harsh voice shouted.

"The captain!" the scrawny man whispered. Everyone jumped into line and stood at attention.

The captain examined the line with a fierce look in his eyes. As he passed, Sora turned and cried out. Heartless emerged from the ground. Sora summoned Kingdom Key and I summoned Chaos Ripper.

"Ping, if you're wanting to be a soldier, you've gotta know how to fight." I said. "Let's hope you're ready for this!"

"I-I am!" Ping said, but the way he nervously clutched the grip of his sword said otherwise.

Sora lunged forward and dealt a double diagonal slash, destroying two Shadows. Donald raised his staff and bolts of Thunder rained down, electrocuting several Heartless. As they stumbled around in a daze, Goofy charged and slammed into them with his shield. I charged at a group of Heartless, readying myself to slash the snot out of them, when suddenly I felt a force knock me sideways to the ground.

"Oof!" another voice and I said. I turned to see Ping laying across my back. His sword had fumbled out of his hands. He turned his head and smiled nervously at me.

"Sorry." Ping said, scrambling to his feet. I scowled and jumped to my feet. I glared at him and summoned Chaos Ripper. I twirled it in the air and caught it in reverse with my left hand and stabbed behind me. I glanced to see a Shadow writhing on the tip of my Keyblade as it dissolved into dark dust.

"Next time, stay out of my way." I grumbled, dispelling Chaos Ripper and walking over to the others.

"Looks like you had a nice little trip, huh?" Sora teased.

"You want to get punched again?" I glared daggers at him. Sora back away, holding his hands up in a sign of surrender.

"You three!" the captain approached us. "What are your names?"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy introduced themselves.

"I am Shang, captain of this... army. You're welcome in my troop." the captain said. "Your battle skills are encouraging."

Ping tried to speak up, but Shang interrupted. "You should return home."

"B-but..." Ping said. "That would dishonor my family!"

Shang stared him down. "You'd rather dishonor my troops?"

Ping's hung his head. I put my hand on his shoulder to comfort him. Shang saw me and his eyes flared up in anger.

"I suggest YOU go home as well." Shang said.

I froze and retreated my hand to my side. "Excuse me?"

"There will be no _women_ in my army." Shang spat the word 'women' out like it was snake venom in his mouth. Ping's face flushed.

"Oh, really?" I scowled. "Because I believe that I'm better than half of the men here, _Captain_." Shang growled. His hand inched towards his sword.

Sora jumped in front of me with his arms stretched out to the sides of him.

"If Ping trains hard and does his best, he'll get stronger in no time!" Sora interjected. I stared at the back of his head in surprise.

Shang's hand rested again at his side. "Hmm..."

"Just give us an assignment! We'll show you how well we can work together." Sora said.

"So... you want to be tested?" Shang said. He closed his eyes and thought about it. He opened them again after a few moments. "Our orders are to ambush Shan-Yu's army on their way here. They should be coming through the mountain pass."

"We'll smash them!" Donald cried.

"I doubt that. You four will be the advance party."

_Four?!_ I scoffed. _He wouldn't know good swordsmanship if it hit him in the head!_

"Scout out the mountain for my troops." Shang ordered.

Sora placed his hands behind his head. "That's it? No problem." He glanced at Ping. "Right?"

"R-right." Ping sighed.

They turned around and walked away. When they were about to leave the camp, I put a hand on Sora's shoulder.

"Sora, let me come with you." I said.

"But the captain-" Sora said.

"I don't care what the captain said!" I huffed a breath of frustration. "I want to help you guys. I'm not going to stand around and do nothing just because one person told me to. Especially if there's Heartless running around."

"Well..." Sora glanced at the others. "Okay."

* * *

><p>At the foot of the mountain, there was a large wall of boulders blocking our path. I heard screeching above me and I looked to see a falcon circling above us in the air.<p>

"Hallie, look out!" I heard Goofy call.

I looked and jumped out of the way as a Nightwalker slashed at me with its claws. It grazed my arm and I clutched it, wincing in pain. I summoned Chaos Ripper and slashed at the Heartless, striking its side and destroying it. I pulled my hand away and it was slightly red and damp with blood. I huffed a deep breath, trying to calm the wave of nausea that hit me. Donald raised his staff and cast Cure on me. I sighed in relief and watched my wound fade away and my strength return to me.

"Thanks. Now how do we get past this obstacle?" I said.

I looked over at Sora and he gestured to our Keyblades. I nodded. We charged at the rocks and dealt a combo of slashes until it looked weak enough. We stood back then simultaneously lunged forward with our Keyblades. The rock pile dispersed into bits of debris and the pathway was clear... only to lead to another rock pile 20 feet in front of us. A routine kicked in: we would arrive at a rock pile, fight off Heartless that appeared, then Sora and I would use our Keyblades to destroy the rock pile. Finally, the path was entirely clear and we arrived at the mountain pass entrance.

"Hey, you ain't half bad." a familiar gruff voice said. We turned to see the three soldiers, Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po, approach us.

"A man among men!" Ling said.

"YOU'RE a part of Captain Shang's troop?" I said, crossing my arms.

"You bet your sweet noodles we are!" Yao said, puffing out his chest. They strolled past us up the trail. Shang followed behind.

"Ping sure did great!" Goofy said. Donald chimed.

"Hmm... Fine. I'll let you join my troops..." Shang said. "But I'm still not convinced you have what it takes to be a worthy soldier."

"Why not!?" Sora said.

"It's all right, Sora." Ping said. "I'll find a way to show him what I'm made of. Just give me a chance."

"That's the spirit, Ping." Shang said. He turned and he and his soldiers climbed up the mountain trail.

* * *

><p>At the top of the trail, there was a small village resting in the snow.<p>

"Okay, girl! Here's your chance!" Mushu said. "I saw this real shady guy. And I know it's Shan-Yu."

"Shan-Yu?!" Ping said.

"We have to tell the Captain about this." I said.

"Waaaait wait-wait-wait WAIT! Everybody use their heads a sec." Mushu said. "Now, why are we here? To make the Captain see Mulan's- I mean, Ping's talents and bring honor to her family."

"So, if we find our where Shan-Yu is and turn him in, that'll surely get the Captain's attention!" Sora said.

"Ding-ding-diiiing! Two points for Spiky!" Mushu said. "So, let's go find out where Shan-Yu is, by ourselves. Then, if we're lucky, we can fry him up for good! Though just tracking the guy down should earn us our stars... Captain Musclehead will have to notice my girl!"

We all looked to Ping.

"Okay. Let's go." he said.

"We'll help out." Sora said.

"_Now we're cookin'!_" Mushu pumped his fist in the air. "Shan-Yu is in a cave outside the village!"

* * *

><p>We entered the cave, which was literally right next to the village. We walked past some bundles of firecrackers.<p>

"What do these do?" Sora said, reaching his hand out towards the firecrackers.

I grabbed his arm and yanked him back. "Don't touch those! You want a firework show to go off in here and blow us all up?!"

Sora shrugged his shoulders sheepishly and blushed in embarrassment. "Sorry."

We continued walking until we reached the end room. There was a stone throne with little cubby holes around the room holding lit candles inside. But that's all there was. Shan-Yu was nowhere to be seen.

"Mushu, there's nobody here..." Donald said.

"You're crazy. Check again!" Mushu said.

Donald sighed as he and Goofy turned around and left the room.

"I don't know about you, but I've always wanted to sit in a throne before." I said. I walked over to the throne and sat down in it. "A little rough. But it makes me feel like a princess."

I laid across the chair and kicked my feet up onto the other stony arm rest, putting my hands behind my head.

"Hallie, come on." Sora said.

Suddenly, the room began to rumble. I sat up.

"What's going on?!" Ping cried.

A light pink barrier appeared in front of Donald and Goofy. Another barrier surrounded the throne and its pedestal.

"Huh?!" I said. I stood up and when I tried to run forward, I slammed into the barrier. I fell back onto my butt. "What the heck is this?!"

I noticed someone behind Donald and Goofy. A muscular man holding a sword with a slight zigzag pattern. He had stringy black hair that came down his shoulders and amber eyes and where the eye should be white, it was black instead.

I gasped and pointed. "Shan-Yu!"

Shan-Yu laughed, turned around, and left the cave. Heartless appeared before Ping and Sora.

"Sora!" I called. I pounded my fist against the barrier, which glowed pink every time I hit it.

Sora summoned Kingdom Key and slashed at a Shadow. Saying that Ping attacked the Heartless would be an overstatement. He was kind of just there, stumbling around and swinging the sword aimlessly. I sighed and facepalmed. Sora swung at another Shadow. An Assault Rider appeared and slammed the flat of his spear into Sora's chest. He flew back into the barrier that surrounded me.

"Sora!" I said, crouching down to his level. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." Sora winced. He sat up and clutched his head. "Don't worry, Hallie. We'll protect you guys."

Sora struggled to his feet, gripped the Kingdom Key and charged again. I stood there watching in disbelief. I watched a strategy take place. The Heartless were too distracted by Ping bumbling around to notice Sora sneak up from behind and slaughter them. Ping actually managed to destroy the last Shadow... and by that I mean he accidentally fell on top of it.

"Nice fighting, Ping!" Sora said. "You did great!"

The barrier blocking Donald and Goofy dissipated, then following was the one around me. I ran over to Sora and Ping.

"You okay?" Goofy said.

"Yeah, thanks to Ping." Sora said, putting his hands behind his head.

A sassy remark formed in my head, but then I felt a pang of guilt and stared at the ground.

"Is something wrong, Hallie?" Sora said. I looked up at him for a second before returning my eyes to the ground.

"It's just that... so far during this journey, I've treated you guys so rudely. And then I saw you fighting out there for me- us." I said quickly. "I've been nothing but aggressive towards you. How is it that you can keep me sticking around through all that?"

"Because we're friends." Sora said. He smiled. "And friends don't give up on friends."

That hit me in the heart like a Chuck Norris roundhouse kick. I gulped and glanced at Donald and Goofy. They nodded in agreement and smiled. I looked at Sora again.

"Right." I said. I felt a genuine smile creep up on my face. I haven't smiled like this since...

My face dropped again. "I saw Shan-Yu. He must have led us here as a trap."

"We'd better tell the Captain!" Ping said.

We exited the cave, where we stood before the charred remains of the village.


	5. My Debt Is Repaid

**CHAPTER FIVE**

I brought my hand up to my mouth. The village was gone. The charred posts were still releasing fresh smoke into the air. Bits of blackened debris blemished the snow. Sora let out a sorrowful sigh and he frowned. Ping stepped into the village grounds.

"Captain!" he cried. Shang was struggling up to his feet, clutching his side. We ran to his side.

"Don't overdo it, captain." Sora said.

"It... it's just a scratch." Shang said. He groaned and fell to his knee.

"Shan-Yu must have done this." I said.

"Captain, the enemy! Where did they go?" Ping said.

"They went towards the summit..." Shang said.

"We'll stop them!"

Goofy scratched his head. "It kind of is our fault..." he said.

"Right..."

Mushu walked with his head hung and shoulders drooped. "You mean MY fault."

"No, Shan-Yu and the Heartless did this, not us!" Sora said. He knelt to the Captain's level. "Captain, if you can track down the villagers, we'll take care of Shan-Yu." Sora stood up and scanned the destroyed village with a scowl.

"Let's go." he said.

* * *

><p>We headed up the mountain summit, fighting and evading Heartless on the way. We stopped at the foot and looked up the mountain slope. Suddenly, a screech pierced the air, and a falcon soared above us to the mountain.<p>

"I've seen that falcon before..." I said. I gasped.

Shan-Yu stood at the peak of the hill. The falcon flew over and rested on his shoulder. In the cold air's silence, we heard strange chirping. A huge wave of Rapid Thrusters emerged from the crest of the hill. Sora growled. Shan-Yu raised his sword.

"Attack!" he cried. The Rapid Thrusters advanced towards us.

Sora and I summoned our Keyblades. I struck my battle stance: my feet planted on the ground shoulder length apart with my legs facing forward. My left foot pointed forward and my right foot pointed diagonal to the right. My Keyblade arm that gripped Chaos Ripper rested calmly at my side. My torso was twisted slightly to the right as my head faced forward. I lifted my clenched left hand and placed it across the left half of my chest and directly above my heart.

We charged in separate directions, leaping and slashing and casting magic on the Heartless. A couple of Rapid Thrusters came at me spinning rapidly like a drill. I spun my Keyblade around with my hand to block their attack and bring them in. Then I twirled around with Chaos Ripper swirling along with me, slashing through Heartless.

After the last Heartless disappeared into dark dust, we looked to the mountains again. Shan-Yu growled and raised his sword. Another wave of Rapid Thrusters appeared. Shan-Yu and the Heartless charged down the mountain towards us.

"Stand back!" Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po approached us. Yao was carrying a firecracker with a red dragon head as the missile.

"We'll handle this!" Ling said.

Yao stuck the firecracker into the snow and aimed it towards Shan-Yu. Ping scanned the mountain and gasped. He shoved Yao out of the way and grabbed the firecracker. He ran ahead a few steps and stuck the firecracker into the ground. Instead of aiming it for Shan-Yu, Ping aimed it towards the mountain. He used Mushu as a lighter.

"Hey-hey-hey! Whoa, what are you-?!" Mushu cried. The red dragon head took off into mountain, taking Mushu with it. "YOU'RE GOIN' THE WRONG WAY!" There was an explosion, and suddenly, thousands of tons of snow came rolling down the mountain.

"Captain?" Sora said. Shang approached us.

Ping gasped and ran towards Shang. "Look out!"

Snow exploded from the crest of the hill and came barreling down at us. Shan-Yu tried to run but the snow swallowed him up. Ping grabbed Shang and dragged him away.

"Come on!" I cried. I grabbed Sora's hand and we bolted down the mountain. I heard another clicking sound.

_NOW IS _NOT_ THE TIME!_

As we ran to the corner of the summit, the force of the snow rushing down the hill knocked us forward and to the ground. We stood up and saw Shang, Ping, and Mushu down a ways.

"Captain! Ping!" Sora called as we ran down to them.

"Oh boy, you're okay!" Goofy said.

Shang turned to us and he did not look happy.

"You all knew, didn't you?" Shang said. "You knew that Ping was really a woman in disguise."

We collectively gasped and refused to meet Shang's ferocious glare.

"I can't believe you lied to me." Shang said. He turned his back to us and put his hands on his hips. "The punishment for high treason and dishonoring the Army... is death."

We gulped in unison. Shang turned his head to us.

"Get out of my sight... now." Shang said. "You're all dismissed."

"But Captain..." Sora said.

"My debt is repaid." Shang said through gritted teeth. He walked away down the mountain pass with his troop.

"Mulan... I blew it." Mushu said. Ping sighed.

* * *

><p>Ping, now officially Mulan again, removed her armor and underneath wore a tan and green kung-fu styled outfit. She turned to us and smiled.<p>

"Thank you, everyone." Mulan said. "Sorry I got you in trouble."

Sora shrugged. "It's no big deal. So Ping... I mean, uh, Mulan... what're you gonna do now?"

"Go back home." Mulan and Mushu started to walk down the summit.

"Your daddy's gonna be steamed as a chicken dumpling." Mushu said. Mulan sighed.

Sora wrapped his arms around me, Donald, and Goofy in an extended side hug.

"Relax. We'll take our share of the blame." Sora said.

"Well, technically, I never was a part of the army..." I said.

"But you did help us out." Donald mumbled.

Mulan smiled. "Thanks. You're all wonderful friends."

* * *

><p>We began our descent down the mountain. It was quiet aside from the crunching of our feet on the fresh layer of snow. I looked up at the sky.<p>

And that's when I saw it. Circling above us in the sky, screeching. Shan-Yu's falcon. We gasped when we heard a roar close by us. We followed the falcon's path of flight to a snowy plateau right below us. Shan-Yu stood up and Rapid Thrusters appeared beside him. They made their way down the mountain.

"Shan-Yu?! He's alive!" Mulan said. "He's heading for the Imperial City! We've got to warn Shang!"

* * *

><p>We ran through the palace doors past the weary soldiers of Shang's troop.<p>

"Shang!" Mulan called. Shang turned around. "Shan-Yu is alive! He's headed this way!"

"And why should I believe you this time?" Shang said, placing a hand on his hip.

"But... she's telling you the truth!" Sora said.

"Yeah! We saw him!" I said. "You've got to believe us!"

A screech that chilled my bones echoed above us. We looked up to the sky to see Shan-Yu's falcon circling above us. Shang looked forward towards the palace and scanned the view. That's when he saw him. Shan-Yu standing at the roof of one of the towers. He smirked at us and jumped down the tower to the other side.

"Guard the palace! Do not let the enemy get anywhere near the Emperor!" Shang ordered. Yao, Chien-Po, and Ling ran forward, swords swinging, towards the palace. "That's an order!"

Suddenly, Shang's weary soldiers didn't look so weary anymore. Or soldier-like. Darkness swirled around them and they revealed themselves as Nightwalkers. Shang gasped. Sora, Mulan and I jumped in front of him, weapons ready.

"Captain! We'll secure the courtyard, and you can save the Emperor!" Sora said. We glanced at him. He looked at the palace then back at us hesitantly.

"That's an order!" I cried. Shang nodded and ran across the courtyard towards the palace.

We attacked. I jumped out of the way as a Nightwalker lunged at me. Suddenly, I was hit by an extreme wave of electricity that coursed through my veins. I cried out in pain and I realized that I was caught in a ball of dark electricity from a Bolt Tower's bolt laser. I groaned and summoned Chaos Ripper. With a burst of strength, I deflected the bolt laser ball with my Keyblade and sent it hurling back towards the Bolt Tower, disintegrating it. I landed on the ground on my feet, then collapsed to one knee, panting hard. Sora tossed me a potion. I took a long drink of it and felt its power warm my stomach and replenish my strength. I stood up.

"Come on! The Emperor's in danger!" Mulan said.

"No time to lose!" Sora said.

We ran across the courtyard and up the stairs. Shan-Yu raised his sword and brought it dangerously close to the Emperor, an elderly man with a long white beard and mustache, and he was dressed in black, yellow, and red robes. He looked rather composed and calm despite the fact that he had a sword hovering so close to his face.

"Now you'll bow to me." Shan-Yu said.

He turned and saw us. As he glared at us, Shang jumped in. He took his hand and swiped it hard against Shan-Yu's nose, then used his other fist to shove him into the ground. He took the Emperor and hurried him into the palace. The doors closed behind them. Shan-Yu ran to the palace doors, but we blocked his path.

"It ends now!" Mulan said.

Shan-Yu stared at us. His falcon landed on his shoulder and he began to chuckle. His chuckle turned into an evil cackle as he began to pulsate with darkness. He charged and slammed his sword down on Sora. He brought his Keyblade up and blocked it in time, but he began to squirm under Shan-Yu's strength.

"Sora!" I cried.

Something slammed into my chest. I fell to the ground as Shan-Yu's falcon circled close above me. It tauntingly screeched at me and it sounded like laughter.

"Oh, that is it!" I cried. "I'm going to turn you into a coat!"

I jumped to my feet and hurled my Keyblade at the falcon. It dodged it right before it would hit. I huffed a breath of frustration. The falcon dove towards me.

"Fire!" I cried, shooting out my hand. A fireball escaped from my hand and slammed into the falcon. As the smoke subsided, clumps of burning feathers floated to the ground. I looked at my hands in surprise.

_Whoa. Didn't know I could do that..._

"Sora!" I heard Donald cry.

I looked up and gasped as Shan-Yu kicked Sora in the chest, sending him flying backward into the palace door. He slumped against it.

"Sora!" I cried.

I ran forward. As Shan-Yu raised his sword and brought it down onto Sora's head, I intercepted, blocking the blow with Chaos Ripper. I planted my foot and shoved Shan-Yu back with a grunt.

"Now it's my turn to protect you." I said quietly.

Shan-Yu roared as he glowed with darkness. He lunged at me with his sword pointed at my chest. A rush of adrenaline exploded inside of me. With a burst of energy, I slashed my Keyblade and it collided with Shan-Yu's sword. I rapidly swirled my Keyblade to the right and Shan-Yu's sword flew out of his hands and clattered against the ground. Shan-Yu dove for his sword.

"Mulan, now!" I cried.

Shan-Yu stood up and raised his sword again. At that moment, Mulan jumped down and slashed her sword down. She jumped back and it was silent. Shan-Yu stood there frozen in his pose. Finally, a groan escaped his lips and he fell to the ground. I let out a deep breath of relief. I turned around to see Donald fixing Sora up with Cure. He stood up and looked at me. I nodded and smiled.

"Now that's what I call burning some hunny-bun! Aw, yeah! Mulan's the best! Mulan's the best!" Mushu cried, skipping around. "No, wait a minute- I'm the best! Mushu's the best! Mushu's the best!"

Mulan and I looked at each other and laughed.

* * *

><p>We stood in a line at attention as the Emperor approached us.<p>

"I've heard a great deal about you, Fa Mulan." the Emperor said.

Mulan stepped forward and bowed.

"You stole your father's armor, ran away from home, impersonated an Imperial soldier. You deceived your commanding officer, shamed the entire Chinese army, and dishonored your family name." the Emperor said.

"We get the picture..." Sora mumbled. I elbowed him to silence him.

"You're a young woman. And in the end..." the Emperor continued. "...you have saved us all."

Mulan looked up and was shocked to see the Emperor bowing to her. The giant crowd below us roared.

"Your Excellency!" Mulan said.

"Captain Li?" the Emperor said.

Shang presented Shan-Yu's sword. He handed it to Mulan.

"Take this, so the world will know what it is you have done for China." the Emperor said.

"Thank you." Mulan said.

"Mulan, Sora, Donald, Goofy, Hallie..." Shang said. He bowed. "Thank you."

"'Thank you'? Is that all there is to say, Captain?" the Emperor said. "If you wish to win the heart of Fa Mulan, China's bravest woman, you'll have to be a bit more eloquent than that!"

We laughed.

"Thank you, Sora and Hallie. For everything." Mulan said.

"Now they GOTTA let me go back to bein' a guardian! They GOTTA!" Mushu said.

"But Mushu, I thought you already WERE a family guardian!" Goofy said.

"You were lying to us this whole time?!" I said.

"What? Oh, no, no- don't even worry about that, that's just real technical. Just for us guardians."

"You tricked us!" Sora cried.

As Sora was chasing Mushu around, Shan-Yu's sword glowed in Mulan's hand. She gasped and let go of it and it began to float up into the air.

"What's happening?" I said, staring up at the floating sword.

Sora stepped beside me and our Keyblades appeared in our hands. Sora stood, holding his sword pointed down to the ground.

"What-"

Suddenly, our Keyblades began to shimmer with light. The light exploded and I gasped to see a large sketch of a crown glowing beneath our feet. The light erupted, sending light twisters up into the air. I covered my eyes as light and wind blew up around me. When I opened my eyes, I gasped to see that we were no longer at the palace anymore. There were dark clouds swirling around us and occasionally light peeked through the cracks.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"The heart of the world." Sora said.

Shan-Yu's sword glowed with multiple colors. It shot a beam of light up above us, which formed into a giant keyhole. Sora jumped back and pointed the Kingdom Key at the keyhole, but nothing happened. Sora looked to me and I nodded. I jumped back, twirling my Keyblade in my hand, and pointed it at the keyhole. Simultaneously, light collected at the end of mine and Sora's Keyblades and beams of light shot from them and into the keyhole. There was a large clicking sound and we were bathed in light. When I opened my eyes, we were back at the palace with Donald, Goofy, and Mulan.

"What in the world was that?" I said.

"Every world has a heart. As we go along this journey, we need to lock and seal away the hearts of the worlds to prevent Heartless from getting to them and destroying them." Sora said.

"Oh great. More responsibility." I groaned. Sora smiled and shook his head.

"Guess it's about time to be movin' on." Goofy said.

"You shall be missed." the Emperor said.

Sora wiped his nose with the back of his glove. "Is it okay if we come back to visit?"

"Of course!" Mulan said.

"We will look forward to your return." Shang said.

"You two behave while we're gone!" I giggled.

"Whoa... Watch it, soldier!"

Mulan laughed as she covered her face in embarrassment.

"Goodbye, Sora, Hallie, Donald, and Goofy!" Mulan said.


	6. Far From Princely

**CHAPTER SIX**

Sora closed the doors of the giant castle we stepped inside. It was dark and super creepy looking, with gargoyle statues staring at you, a winding staircase that split to the left and right, and multiple doors that I didn't want to find out what was behind them.

"Hey, what is this place?" Sora said, walking over to us.

"It's huge." Donald said.

"And sorta gloomy, don't ya think?" Goofy said.

"Do you think someone lives here?" I said, staring at one of the gargoyles.

A roar echoed in the room that almost scared the pee out of me. We looked around, but didn't see anyone.

"Hey, does anybody else recognize that?" Goofy said.

Sora crossed his arms and tapped his hand on his chin as another roar rumbled the room.

"Hey, that's the Beast!" Sora said.

"Wait a minute. Are you saying that whatever monster is making that noise is your FRIEND?" I said.

"He's not a monster!" Sora said. "Well... okay, maybe on the outside he is, but he's a good person!"

"Maybe we should check up on him." Goofy said.

"And get eaten?" I said, crossing my arms.

"Oh, lighten up, Hallie." Sora said. "Look!"

We saw a Shadow slinking against the floor. We watched it scurry into a room with an open door.

"C'mon!" Donald cried.

We ran over to the door. Donald peeked his head inside.

"Where did it go?" he mumbled.

We opened the door to the room, which turned out to be a small parlor. A giant red rug laid across the center of the floor and there was a fireplace with a fire crackling inside it. Next to the fireplace was a table. On top of it was a shimmering rose encased in glass. Donald walked over and reached up to grab it, but a Shadow popped up in front of him. He cried out and stumbled back.

"Found it!" he said.

As I walked forward, Shadows emerged from the ground around me. I summoned Chaos Ripper.

"Looks like it brought some friends." I said.

These Heartless were like the Hydra; every time you killed one, two more appeared. No matter how many Shadows perished under our weapons, they kept on coming. We backed up in front of the table with the rose. More Shadows emerged.

"Oh, come on, enough already!" Sora said.

"Somebody help us!" Donald cried.

The doors opened quickly and slammed against the parlor walls. A tall, muscular beast stomped in. He had brown fur, a purple cape, and blue tattered pants. He wore a scowl as he stood in the center of the room. Shadows lunged at him, and with a roar, he swiped his claws at them. One by one they were destroyed. He growled and stalked towards us.

"Just in time, Beast!" Sora cried.

He raised his hand for a high five, but as Beast walked past him, he swept his arm at him and pushed him aside into the wall. Donald and Goofy cried out and the Beast shoved them away as well. Beast glared at me and I jumped away before he could consider sinking his teeth into my face. Beast approached the table and delicately picked up the glass container holding the rose. He looked at it longingly then turned around and left the room.

"Yeah, some friend you got there." I said, leaning into Sora's upside-down view.

"Gee, do ya think he maybe forgot who we are?" Goofy said.

"With this many Heartless around, something must be up." Sora said.

"Why'd he have to do that?" Donald mumbled and rubbed the side of his head.

We left the parlor. Donald stopped and looked up the staircase.

"What is it?" Sora said.

Donald turned to us. "I just know I saw a lady at the top of those stairs..." he said. We looked up the stairs, but there was no one there.

"Well... if the Beast is here in the castle, that lady musta been Belle, right?" Goofy said.

"Maybe this Belle knows what happened to the Beast." I said. "Let's go find her."

* * *

><p>We walked down the long hallway at the top of the stairs. Sora turned towards us, pressed a finger to his mouth, and said, "Shhh!"<p>

"Who are we going to disrupt? The statues?" I said. Sora shushed me again. The three boys tiptoed over to the large door at the end of the hallway. We leaned against the door and listened.

"Oh, what am I going to do?" a female voice said.

Sora looked at us and pointed at the door. Donald took a few steps away from the door.

"Donald!" Sora warned, but Donald lunged at the door. The doors flew open and he tumbled to the floor. "Hey! Who opened the door?"

There was a woman standing over Donald. She wore a blue dress with a long-sleeved white shirt underneath and a white apron. Her brown hair was tied back with a blue bow in a low ponytail. She had brown eyes that lit up when she saw us.

"Oh, I'm so happy you're here!" the woman cried. She picked up Donald and hugged him. "Donald! Sora! Goofy!"

"Hiya." Sora said as he and Goofy waved.

"Put me down! Put me down!" Donald protested. Belle gasped and set him down. She smiled apologetically.

"Where's the Beast?" Goofy asked.

"Oh, he must be in the west wing. We don't talk like we used to." Belle said, frowning.

"Did something happen?" Sora said.

"Yes. Isn't that why you're here?"

Donald and Goofy glanced at Sora, who shrugged.

"Not exactly. But we can still help!" Goofy said. "Since we're here and all."

"The Beast won't talk to you?" I said.

"He's been acting strange lately." Belle said. "The only ones who might know why are locked up in the dungeon. I want to help them, but..."

Sora put his hand behind his head. "Wait a second. Who locked who up?"

"The Beast locked up his servants, but I don't know why."

"Well then, it's time for a little prison break." I said, casually stretching my arms.

* * *

><p>After dealing with a rather bossy wardrobe, we learned something quite unusual. The wardrobe was actually a human once until an enchantress came along and cursed the entire castle. The Beast used to be a prince before, however, he is far from princely now. We entered the door leading to the undercroft. Furniture and miscellaneous items cluttered the room. Donald approached the dungeon door and pressed his ear against it. Suddenly, the eyes of the carved figures flashed.<p>

"That's not good." I said.

The figures glowed purple and Donald jumped back. Color flushed into the figure, revealing the Thresholder Heartless. One of them tried to grab Donald, but he scurried away over to us. They engaged in the most terrifying fist bump I've ever seen. I summoned Chaos Ripper and charged. The Thresholders raised their arms together and swung their fists at me. I attempted to block, but I ended up flying into a dresser.

"Don't worry guys. I know what to do." Sora said.

He brought his hand to his heart and clenched it. He began to glow. There was a bright light, and when it subsided, Sora's clothing was now red and he twirled Star Seeker in his left hand. He jumped forward and slammed his Keyblades into the ground. Pillars of fiery light rose from the ground, vaporizing the Heartless in its path. Sora ran forward with unbelievable speed and slashed at the Thresholders with equal speed, dealing quick, powerful combos. The Thresholders writhed around as they steamed with darkness. There was another flash and Sora had reverted back to his original clothes and single Keyblade. He jumped back, twirled his Keyblade, and pointed it at the Thresholder. A Possessor shot out from the Heartless and it turned back into stone.

"Hallie! Now!" Sora cried.

I ran forward and ignited my Keyblade using Fire. I jumped in the air and hurled Chaos Ripper at the Possessor. It slashed straight through it. The Possessor floated towards the ceiling before disintegrating away into the air. The Thresholder carvings disappeared as well.

"You think the dungeon's past this door?" Donald said.

"We'll never know until we look." I said.

"C'mon, we gotta set those servants free!" Goofy said.

"He's right. Let's go." Sora said.

* * *

><p>The dungeon was rather small. Everything was concrete and wood beamings propped up the wooden ceiling layer. In the corners, piles of hay were bundled together. There were two chairs and a small crate. One chair had a candelabra, the other chair had a pendulum clock, and the small crate had a teapot and a little chipped teacup on them.<p>

"There's nobody here." Sora said.

"You mean there's nobody to rescue?" Donald frowned.

"Did someone say "rescue"?" a french male voice said.

"SHHH! Keep quiet! It might be THEM." a timid voice said.

"Oh, they look like nice folks to me." an English voice said.

"Hey, guys. You remember what the wardrobe said?" I said. "She was a human once, but an enchantress came and turned her into a wardrobe. Maybe the same thing happened with the other servants."

I approached the candelabra and grabbed hold of the shaft. I lifted it up and examined it.

"Hello?" I said.

A pair of eyes opened and a smile appeared on the candelabra.

"Bonjour." it said.

"AHH!" I screamed. I dropped the possessed candle stick. It landed back on the chair and crossed its candle arms.

"You look like you've seen a ghost." the clock said. "Haven't you ever seen a talking candle before?"

The miscellaneous items jumped down and approached us. The other three were in awe.

"I'm Sora." Sora said. He gestured to us. "Donald. Goofy. That's Hallie."

Donald jumped forward and grabbed the clock.

"...D-don't touch! I-I am self-winding, sir!" the clock cried. Donald shook him.

"I'm glad you're okay." Sora said.

The candelabra jumped up on the chair again.

"It is we who are overjoyed to see you!" he said. "And Hallie is right. We as well were cursed by the enchantress. It seemed so long ago..."

"It was a cold winter's night... An old beggar woman came to the castle, and asked for shelter." the teapot said.

"But the master of this castle, that is of course, the Prince..." the clock said. Donald opened him up and played with the pendulum. The clock smacked his hand away. "Stop that! Put me down this instant!"

Donald set him down on the chair and he brushed himself off. He cleared his throat.

"As we were saying... The master turned her away. All because of her, ahem, meager appearance." the clock said.

"Oui. He was a spoiled prince, so selfish and... how shall I say... cruel." the candelabra said.

"Lumiere!"

"The old woman warned our master not to be deceived by appearances... Still, he would not take her in." the teapot said. "The old woman's ugliness melted away to reveal a beautiful enchantress. She turned the Prince into a beast, a shape she thought fitting for his cold heart. And to further punish him, everyone in the castle was enchanted, too."

"Wow. That's quite a story." Sora said, placing his hands behind his head.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" I said.

"Let's get the enchantress!" Donald cried.

"Do you want to be turned into a rug, Donald?" I said. Donald crossed his arms.

"We already know what needs to be done, but with the master out of sorts..." Lumiere said.

"There have been a lot of Heartless roaming around here." Sora said. "If they're a part of this, then it's a good thing we're here."

"We should go find the Beast." I said.

Lumiere hopped down from the chair and over to the door. "Follow me, messieurs and mademoiselle! I know a shortcut!"


	7. To Love and Earn Love

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

"It's time you dealt with Belle. She's scheming to take everything you have. This castle, your precious rose. And then- your life." I heard a voice behind the door to Beast's room. "Trust no one. Feed your anger! Only anger will keep you strong.

"I've had enough of strength. There's only one thing I want-" I heard the Beast say.

"What? To love, and be loved in return? Who could ever love a beast?"

There was a roar. Sora pushed the door open. Beast's room was a MESS. Broken furniture pieces were pushed up against the wall. On the wall, there was a portrait with claw marks slashed across it. Standing at the end of the room was the Beast. There was a man standing next to him cloaked in a black robe.

"See? She has accomplices." the man said. He floated back beside the Beast and swung his arm towards us. Light pink barriers covered the window and the door behind us.

"Organization XIII!" Sora scowled. "I should've known."

The man disappeared in a swirl of darkness. We approached the Beast.

"Hey, Prince." Sora said. Sora approached the Beast. Suddenly, the Beast threw back his head and roared.

"Sora, look out!" Donald cried.

The Beast extracted his claws and swiped them at Sora. He jumped back just in time and fell on the ground in front of us.

"Sora, are you okay?" I said, helping him up. He nodded, but he was shaking.

The Beast let out another roar.

"Oh, dear! Master!" the clock, Cogsworth, cried.

"It's no use. We'll have to knock some sense into him." I said, summoning Chaos Ripper.

* * *

><p>Beast fell to the ground, clutching his head.<p>

"Cogsworth... what happened?" he said.

"Well, Master... ah, you see... that is... How shall I say... ah, actually... mmm..." Cogsworth said.

"Well, you locked everyone down in the dungeon while the Heartless are running amok, and then you suddenly went berserk and attacked us!" I said, crossing my arms.

"Er... to put it that way, yes..." Cogsworth said.

"I did?" The Beast said.

"Who was that guy you were talking to?" Sora said. "The one in black."

The Beast looked up and scowled. "Xaldin... that's his name. He came from the darkness... He... used my anger to control me. He took all my sorrow, my sadness, my pain- and turned it all into rage. There was nothing I could do... I could no longer see the truth."

"Well, I'll be. That must be why you threw all of your friends down there into the dungeon." Goofy said. "You wanted to make sure that you didn't hurt 'em, right?"

"Was that it? Was it to protect them?" Beast said.

"Sure. We know you're good inside."

"He's right, Master. We've all seen how kind you can be." Cogsworth said. "After all... Belle can see the goodness in your heart, but I'm afraid you've yet to-"

"Belle!" The Beast said, then slumped forward. "I've mistreated her... I've mistreated her and been so selfish."

"Why don't you go and talk to her?" Sora said.

"Yeah. If you talk to Belle and apologize, I'm sure she'll forgive you." I said.

"But..."

"Come on, no excuses!" Donald said. "We'll be right there to help you out!"

* * *

><p>When we walked into Belle's room, the only person there was the wardrobe.<p>

"Master!" she cried.

"Where is Belle?" the Beast asked.

"Why, she left in a hurry. Something about going after this... man in black."

The Beast roared. "WHAT?! Why doesn't she do as she's told?!"

"Temper, temper! Her spirit is what makes Belle so special."

"We'd better go find her!" Sora said.

* * *

><p>"I'm warning you! You'll be sorry!" we heard Belle cry out.<p>

"Belle! Where are you?" Beast said.

"Beast! Help! I'm in the ballroom!"

"Let's go!" Sora said.

We ran into the ballroom as Belle was running across the floor over to the balcony.

"Belle!" Beast cried.

"I'm all right!" Belle said as she shut the door behind her.

A Shadow Stalker floated at the balcony door, watching Belle. It turned around and saw us. It roared and dove into the ground. Darkness spread across the floor at up the pillars and to the ceiling. I summoned Chaos Ripper and we charged at it. It possessed everything in its sight: the pillars, the window, the chandelier. Finally it began to squirm and shake around. It let out a roar and darkness surrounded it.

"Did we get it?" Sora said.

Suddenly, the darkness dispersed, and the Shadow Stalker had transformed into Dark Thorn.

"Time for round 2." I said.

It roared and turned invisible. We chased it around as it scurried across the floor camouflaged. I could barely make out it standing in the center of the floor.

"Sora, I've got an idea." I said. I pointed up at the chandelier. He looked at me and nodded.

We ran forward and used the invisible Heartless as a step vault. We jumped up onto the chandelier and brought it down. We grabbed the chain and spun around it rapidly, causing it to spin as well. It crashed into Dark Thorn and slammed it into the pillars as we spun. Its invisibility faded. When the chandelier stopped spinning, we jumped down, Keyblades in hand, and attacked.

Dark Thorn stumbled back and let out a roar. It shimmered, and with a flash of light, it dissolved into darkness. The ballroom returned to its original colors.

"We did it!" Sora cried.

"So you think." a voice said. We turned and saw the black-robed man standing at the door.

"Xaldin!" The Beast growled and charged towards him.

"Farewell." Xaldin disappeared in a portal of darkness.

"What does he want here?"

"He's with Organization XIII." Sora said. "Ever heard of the Nobodies? When a strong-hearted person turns into a Heartless, a Nobody's created, too. See, the Organization... they've got control of all the Nobodies."

"I think Xaldin was trying to turn you into a Heartless." I said.

"Right. That way, they could get that Nobody of yours and have control over it." Goofy said.

"You're all right!" Belle cried, walking across the ballroom floor.

"Belle!" The Beast ran across the floor to her. "Belle... I-I'm sorry- I... wasn't myself. I hope I haven't done anything to hurt you. Forgive me."

Belle smiled. "I know you weren't yourself. You don't have to apologize. But I had hoped... that you might have changed a little bit." Belle said. She stepped forward and wagged a scolding finger at him. Beast cowered a little. "I wish you could start trusting me."

"Oh, I am afraid time is running short." Lumiere said.

"What do you mean?" Sora asked.

"Remember the rose?"

"From the Beast's room?" Donald said.

"Precisely." Cogsworth said. "You see, if the master can learn to love, and earn love in return, before the last petal falls, the spell will be broken."

Sora put his hands on his hips and smirked. "Really? You think he's gonna make it?"

"We think so." Mrs. Potts said.

"Yup, we think you're right." Goofy said.

"I HOPE you're right..." Sora said, shrugging his shoulders.

"To love... and earn love in return?" I repeated to myself. I laid my hand over my heart and sighed.

Our Keyblades appeared in our hands. Sora and I looked at each other then around the room. I didn't see anything that was shimmering or floating into the sky. Nevertheless, we stood with our Keyblades in front of us. We were taken to the heart of the world and sealed away the keyhole.

"What happened?" Beast said as he and Belle approached us.

"The gate is open!" Donald cried even though they had no idea what he was talking about.

"Do you have to go?" Belle asked.

"Yeah." Sora said.

"Now, no more arguin', okay?" Goofy said.

Belle and the Beast looked at each other. Belle smiled at him and he looked away, scratching his cheek nervously.

"We'll see to it." Lumiere said.

"Take care dears." Mrs. Potts said.

"You're welcome here anytime!" Cogsworth said.

"If you hear anything about Riku or the King, the Heartless, the Organization- anything at all- let us know!" Sora said.

I looked at him. _Who's this Riku?_


	8. Meg-Mega-Trouble

**CHAPTER EIGHT**

When we landed, the first word that came into my mind was "restricted".

"Where... are we?" I said.

We stood in an underground area. A lake of strange purple water ran along the rocky platform we were on. Stalagmites broke through the surface of the lake. One large door had a barrier of green fire blocking it.

"Are you sure that this is the coliseum?" Goofy said.

"Coli...seum?" I said. The word sounded familiar to me.

"Yeah. Olympus Coliseum." Sora said.

Suddenly, a bolt of pain flashed across my brain. I cringed and clutched the sides of my head.

"Whoa, are you okay, Hallie?" Sora said, helping me to balance myself.

"Um, yeah, I think so..." I said. "That was weird."

"It's that way!" Donald said, pointing to a staircase covered in light.

"Guess we were a little off." Sora said.

As we walked over to the staircase, we heard a scream. We turned to see a woman running away from a pack of Rabid Dog Heartless. The woman tripped and fell to the ground.

"Hey!" I cried. We ran towards the woman. The Heartless growled at us and scurried away. Sora offered a hand to the woman.

"Thanks, but... I'm fine." the woman said. She looked up at us in surprise. She had long, auburn hair tied back in a ponytail. She wore a lavender sleeveless dress and brown sandals. She stood up and crossed her arms. "And you're supposed to be?"

"I'm Sora, that's Donald and Goofy." Sora said.

"And I'm Hallie." Another flash of pain. I cringed slightly.

"We came to see how Hercules was doing."

The woman looked at all of us.

"You know Wonderboy?" she said dryly.

"Yeah, 'cause we're heroes, too!" Donald said triumphantly, placing his hands on his hips.

"Ya mean junior heroes, Donald." Goofy said.

"Heroes? Since when?" I chuckled.

The woman chuckled. "Looks like we have a friend in common. Name's Megara. My friends call me Meg."

"So, how's Herc?" Sora said.

"Wonderboy? Well, he's duking it out at the Coliseum every day. You know, "a hero's work is never done" and all that." Meg said. "He's ready to drop, but he keeps on fighting. Even Wonderboy has his limits, though. These opponents are bad news- special deliveries from Hades himself..."

"Hades?!" Donald cried.

"Right. Lord of the Underworld. I was on my way to see him. Maybe I can get Hades to give Wonderboy a breather. If anything happened to that kid..."

"Gawrsh. Sounds like you're more than just friends!" Goofy teased. Meg blushed.

"Oh... uh, I mean..."

"You shouldn't be going into the Underworld alone. There's Heartless running around and you could get hurt." I said. "We'll talk to Hades for you."

"Thanks. But... let's keep this whole chat-with-Hades thing our little secret, okay?" Meg said.

"Our lips are sealed!" Sora said, making a zipper motion with his lips.

* * *

><p>I was right about the Heartless. As we journeyed deeper into the Cave of the Dead, Heartless after Heartless appeared in our way. We finally came to a break as we walked into one of the rooms. Suddenly, a man in a black robe came sprinting over to us. Sora and I summoned our Keyblades. The man ran right past us.<p>

"Run! Run away!" the man cried. He ran into a portal of darkness and disappeared.

We looked at each other, baffled.

"Okay...?" Sora said.

We arrived in a room that was lit up in green from the swirling pools of death below us. Haunting cries occasionally echoed against the wall. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Donald and Goofy stood close by each other and cowered in fear. Sora stepped forward.

"Hades, come out!" he called. His voice echoed, but there was no reply.

We climbed to the top of the floating path and into Hades' chamber. He wasn't alone. There was a man dressed in black pants, black shoes, and a red haori with blue lining, wielding a long and heavy-looking sword. His sword laid between Hades hands as the two struggled in a battle.

"Hades!" Donald cried.

"You?!" Hades shouted. He was looking directly at me.

The man pulled away and slashed at Hades. He slashed again, but Hades grabbed his sword and shoved him back into the ground. He summoned balls of fire in his hands, readying to throw them, but Sora and I stood in front of the man, Keyblades in hand and striking our battle stances.

"Get up!" Sora said to the man.

We attacked Hades, but no matter what we did, our attacks didn't do a thing to him. We fell back.

"Something's wrong!" Donald cried.

"I feel kinda funny..." Sora said. I agreed. I could feel my strength sapping away.

"That's right! See, that's the thing. In the Underworld, heroes are zeroes. Comes with the territory." Hades said. He charged at us with an ignited fists, but the man stepped in front of us. He slashed and Hades turned into a pillar of fiery smoke. He appeared again against the wall.

"Go now!" the man said.

"But we've gotta talk to Hades!" Sora said.

"What was that?" Hades said, plugging his ears.

Sora gripped his Keyblade and ran forward, but the man blocked his path. Hades summoned more fireballs.

"We can't fight him here. We have to go. Now!" the man said.

"Sora, come on." I said, tugging on his arm.

He glared at Hades, then turned around and we ran out of the chamber, down the stairs, and back into the Cave of the Dead. Sora and Goofy closed the doors shut.

Donald panted and turned around. "Is he gone?"

"Don't count on it." the man said.

Sora caught his breath and brushed some hair from his face. "Huh?"

There was a "poof". Sora looked up and gasped, pushing himself away from the door.

"Leaving so soon?" Hades smirked.

We ran down the spiraling path, fighting off Heartless and invincible Hades. When we made it out, we collapsed to the ground and caught out breath. Sora turned his head to the man.

"You're really good. Are you some kind of hero?" he said. The man shook his head.

"No, I'm no hero... I'm just an..." the man said. He sighed. "Auron."

Sora and Goofy looked at each other.

"My name." Auron said.

Sora jumped up to his feet. "I'm Sora."

Donald jumped on Sora's back. "Donald!"

Goofy jumped on Sora's back as well. "Goofy!"

Sora grunted and they all fell to the ground.

"I'm Hallie." I said, walking next to the three. "Excuse the pile of dopiness. They're like this all the time."

"It seems we were fated to meet. Maybe you need a guardian." Auron said.

Sora shook off Donald and Goofy. "Guardian? Thanks, but no thanks." he said. He stood up and headed towards the exit. Auron chuckled.

* * *

><p>"Looks like the little brat is back. How long has it been, four years? Five?" Hades grumbled, crossing his arms. "What do you suggest I do?"<p>

"Calm down, Mr. Flames." a male personage leaned against the wall of the chambers with his arms crossed. He wore an organic-looking bodysuit. "Your moment to shine will come. Let the Keyblade wielder do whatever. It's not going to change a thing."

Hades scowled. He clenched his fists and sparks flickered across his knuckles.

"And just _who_ gave you the right to talk to _me_ like that?!" Hades cried. The other person chuckled and shook his head.

"See? That temper of yours will be your downfall. Haven't you ever heard of a thing called destiny? You can't rewrite it. That's the annoying part about it." the male said. "But... the power of influence is just as deadly. My boss took care of them the moment that they were born. All it took was a little bit of darkness and the innocent stupidity of the child. Now all there is to do is sit back and watch."

Hades grumbled. "Fine." he said. "But it's only a matter of time before my fire meets their face."

The other person chuckled bitterly. He stretched his hand out and a portal of darkness appeared.

"I don't care what _you_ do." the person walked into the portal. He turned towards Hades. "But don't be surprised when you get shown up by them."

The male disappeared. Hades screamed and erupted into a pillar of fire.

* * *

><p>We ran to the door that lead us out of the Cave of the Dead, but it was closed. Sora, Donald, and Goofy tried to open it, but it didn't budge. I noticed that there were chains wrapped around the door. I traced them back until I saw a keyhole.<p>

"Sora." I said, pointing at the keyhole. We summoned our Keyblades.

"Will those open it?" Auron said.

"Yeah. I think so." Sora said.

As we raised our Keyblades up, there was a loud roar. We turned around. A black, three-headed beast of a dog, almost the size of the room, with six pairs of eyes and six rows of sharp teeth jumped down from the ceiling. It was Cerberus, Hades' demon dog.

_Wait. How do I know that?_

"Hurry!" Auron said, slinging his sword onto his shoulder.

Sora and I pointed our Keyblades at the lock. Beams of light escaped from them and into the keyhole. It disappeared and Donald and Goofy opened the door. I watched as Cerberus pounced on Auron. Sora ran over to the door, but turned around and looked over at me.

"Hallie, come on!" he cried.

I looked at him, then at Auron.

"He needs help!" I said.

I ran over next to Auron. I summoned Chaos Ripper and struck my battle stance.

"Thought you could leave me out of the fun?" Sora said, running over and standing next to me. He summoned his Keyblade.

"Sorry, it slipped my mind." I smiled and gripped Chaos Ripper tighter.

We attacked. Sora jumped up to attack one of Cerberus's heads, only to get trapped between the other two. As the middle one was about to chomp on him, he took his Keyblade and wedged it between its teeth. He pulled it free and jumped over one of the heads that tried to bite him and up into the air.

"Sora!" I cried.

I ran and jumped up into the air. I reached out my arm. Sora grabbed it, spun me around in the air, and sent me hurtling toward Cerberus. I slashed and Cerberus fell to the ground.

"Come on!" Donald cried.

Sora, Auron, and I ran for the door. Cerberus stood up and ran for the door. As it closed, Sora, Donald, and Goofy made goofy faces at it.

"Really?" I said, crossing my arms.

"Hey, what happened to Auron?" Goofy said. We looked around. He was gone.

"He can take care of himself." Sora said. "Let's go find Megara. Then we can try this again."

We climbed up the stairs to the Coliseum. The doors opened and we walked to the courtyard. There were purple signs posted on the walls and two giant golden warrior statues on either side of the Coliseum door. Their swords were crossed together in an X. As we walked to the Coliseum doors, they opened. A muscular man with orange curly hair and pale blue eyes wearing a brown armor tunic and brown sandals walked wearily out. When he saw us, he lightened up.

"Sora! Donald, Goofy!" he said. "When'd you get here?"

"Hey, Hercules!" Sora said.

"Hi!" Donald said.

"Howdy, there!" Goofy said.

Hercules sauntered over to us. "You on another adventure?"

"Yeah, tracking down some friends, wiping out some Heartless." Sora said.

"Junior heroes, always busy!"

"You know it!"

Sora and Hercules high-fived. Hercules's eyes turned to me.

"You're a friend of Sora?" he said.

"Yeah. I'm Hallie." I said.

An excruciating flash of pain throbbed in my head. I groaned and clutched the sides of my head. I collapsed to my knees.

"Hallie!" Sora said.

_"Is she okay?" a man asked._

_"She's breathing." another man said. "Lucky kid. She looks like she took a nasty spill."_

_"Let's get her inside."_

_I heard footsteps and the long-lasting groan of doors shutting._

The sound of doors slamming snapped me out of it. I gasped, still clutching my head.

"Are you all right?" Goofy said.

"Yeah..." I said.

"Why does that keep happening to you?" Sora asked.

"I... don't know." I said, rubbing my temples. "Maybe it's just the Underworld affecting me. It's probably no big deal."

"Okay..." Sora said, but the concerned look on his face said otherwise.

* * *

><p>"So, did you find those friends of yours?" Hercules asked after we entered the Coliseum foyer. He was sitting on a pedestal.<p>

"Still working on it. When we got here we ran into Meg-" Sora said. I elbowed him in the side. "Meg-mega-trouble, I mean! So we had to help somebody out."

"Smooth." I whispered.

"We tried to go teach Hades a thing or two... but the Underworld drains away all our strength. Don't suppose you have any ideas?"

"Well, there is a stone that guards against the Underworld's curse. The gods on Mount Olympus use it whenever they have to go down there." Hercules said.

"Can we borrow it?" I asked.

"Sure! I'll go get it for you."

"Thanks." we all said.

"But... Hades is no pushover, even if you've got the Olympus Stone. And I have a match today, so I can't go with you..."

Hercules stood up.

"Know what you need? Training! Why don't you go talk to Phil?" Hercules said.

Another flash of pain in my head. I clenched my fist.

"Good idea." I said with a slightly raspy voice. Sora glanced at me.

* * *

><p>The Coliseum was big and spacious. On both sides were large stone bleachers with multiple rows. Four pillars marked the corners of the large, square, tile flooring. In the center were floating jars and a small satyr walking around and examining the jars. We approached the satyr.<p>

"Hey champ, how ya feeling?" the satyr said.

Sora waved, but the satyr kept his back turned to us. He must've thought we were Hercules.

"Better rest up for tomorrow's match. Nobody's gonna pay to see a worn-out hero... capiche?" the satyr continued. "Remember what I told you. Victory in the games comes down to two simple words: Eat, bathe, sleep."

"Uh, that's three words..." I said. Sora shrugged and the three boys laughed. The satyr whirled around and smiled when he saw us.

"Hahaha, hey! If it ain't the junior heroes!" the satyr said.

"Lookin' good, Phil." Sora said.

"Never better! How you guys been? Have you earned your "true hero" wings yet?"

The three stood triumphantly for a moment before faltering.

"Nope, you ain't got what it takes." Phil said. The three boys protested. Phil's gaze shifted to me. "So, what's up? Who's your lady friend?"

I stepped back on my right foot as the satyr studied me from head to toe. My right hand rested at my side, ready to call Chaos Ripper if needed.

"Um... I'm Hallie." I said. Another flash of pain. I cringed, hoping it passed off as discomfort.

* * *

><p>"HA HA HA! You guys are gonna take on Hades?" Phil said, unable to hold back his laughter.<p>

"What's so funny?!" Donald said.

"You got nerve. I like that. Hey, you never know- stranger things have happened, right? Better get cracking, lady and gents!"


	9. Broken Record

**CHAPTER NINE**

"First things first: practice! Smash the pots as they appear and collect Orbs within the time limit. Smaller pots give less orbs, bigger pots give more." Phil said. "Sora, you go first. Collect twenty orbs within 1 minute, 30 seconds. Ready?"

"Yeah!" Sora stood in the middle of the battlefield. He summoned Kingdom Key and struck his battle stance.

"All right... BEGIN!"

Pots appeared on the battlefield. Sora charged, slashing and breaking pots. He finished with 54 seconds left.

"How was THAT?" Sora said, placing his hands behind his head.

"It ain't over yet, kid! There's more on the menu." Phil said. "Hallie, your turn!"

I nodded and made my way over to the center of the field. With my back turned to the others, I took a deep, slow breath. I reached my hand out and summoned Chaos Ripper. However, it appeared pointed down to the ground with the teeth faced towards me. Completely backwards. I shrugged it off and flipped it back around as I turned.

"BEGIN!"

Pots appeared before me. Something inside of me sparked. My senses sharpened, my heartbeat increased, and a rush of adrenaline spread through my veins. I charged forward, gracefully and swiftfully. The next thing I knew, the whistle blew. As I caught my breath, I blinked and looked around. All the pots were gone. I walked over to the others.

"How did I finish?" I asked Phil. He looked at me in shock.

"1 minute, 15 seconds." Phil said.

I raised my eyebrows. Donald and Goofy patted me on the back. Sora pouted a little and folded his arms.

"Hmm..." Phil stroked his goatee. "All right, then. Next practice! Sora, your turn. Now, collect 100 orbs in 1 minute, 30 seconds."

"Okay!"

"BEGIN!"

Sora charged. He finished with 21 seconds left. Phil nodded.

"You're up, Hallie."

I walked to the center of the battlefield again. My mind drew blank, like the calm sea. Chaos Ripper returned to my side, but it appeared backwards again.

_Why is it doing this?_

I gazed at my weapon in confusion for a few moments before flipping it right-side up again.

"BEGIN!"

Pots appeared again, and the same spark in me ignited again. My feet felt like they weren't touching the ground as I broke pot after pot. The whistle blew again and I returned to clear reality.

"1 minute, 5 seconds." Phil said, shaking his head and staring at his stopwatch.

"Wow, you're really good at this, Hallie." Sora said.

"Thanks. It was kind of easy." I said.

"Not just easy, but incredible. That's the best times I've seen in 8 years..." Phil said. He stepped closer to me and examined my face. "Have I trained you before?"

"Huh? No..." I said.

Hercules entered the Coliseum. Phil left, claiming he had to go do something. When asked what it was, he responded with, "None of your beeswax." and left.

"Sorry, guys... The Olympus Stone has been stolen." Hercules said.

"STOLEN?!" we all cried.

"By who?" Goofy said.

"We don't know who did it yet." Hercules said. "All we're sure of is that it was a guy in a black-hooded cloak. And he had a bunch of accomplices- a bunch of creatures in white."

"The Organization!" I scowled.

"Someone you know?"

"Well, sort of..." Sora said. "Hey, if we can get the Olympus Stone back, can we borrow it for a while?"

"Sure. By the way, you haven't seen Meg around, have you?" We shook our heads. "Oh, okay..."

"What's wrong, your hero-ness?" we gasped when we saw Hades walk over and place a hand on Hercules's shoulder. "Feeling under the weather? You know, I thought staying in perfect shape was part of the hero job description... you know what I'm saying?"

"Oh, right... Hades, we gotta talk!" Sora said.

Hades flicked Sora on the forehead with such strength that he fell back onto the ground.

"What do you want, Hades?" I said.

Hades looked at me with an unreadable expression.

"I came to share a bit of mildly interesting news: seems your dear, sweet little Nutmeg..." Hercules crept up and tried to punch Hades, but he disappeared in a puff of fiery smoke. He appeared behind him. "...went and got herself lost in the Underworld."

"You mean you kidnapped her!" Hercules said.

"Well, maybe... But why get caught up in the details?"

Hercules raised two fingers to his mouth and let out a shrill whistle. A white Pegasus with blue hair and blue-tipped wings flew into the Coliseum and landed next to Hercules.

"Ah, ah, ahh... You can't leave now, okay?" Hades said. "You've got a very important match today, against, um... the bloodthirsty Hydra! I mean, if you don't stick around, who knows what kind of "accidents" might happen."

"Yeah, accidents YOU caused!" Sora said.

"Like I said: details, who needs 'em?"

"You're just a coward!" Hercules cried. Pegasus flapped his wings.

"Ah well. Can't all be heroes." Hades disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Hercules crossed his arms and bowed his head.

"Hercules, don't worry." I said. "We'll go find Meg and bring her back."

"Can you handle this?" Hercules said.

"Yeah. You handle the Hydra. We'll take care of the rest." Sora said.

"I'm counting on you."

Pegasus came over. When its eyes fell on me, it brayed happily, trotted around me a few times, then nuzzled its face against my cheek.

"Whoa! Uh... hello there." I said, nervously petting the top of its head.

"Seems like Pegasus recognizes you as a friend." Hercules said.

"Um..." I gently pushed Pegasus away. "You must be mistaken. I've never met you before."

Pegasus brayed again. He looked at me with big, pleading eyes. A flash of pain.

"Pegasus, you go and find Meg." Hercules said, patting his back.

Pegasus glanced back at me, then at Hercules. He stomped his feet, flapped his wings, and took off.

* * *

><p>When we entered the Underworld, we saw Phil laying on the ground.<p>

"Phil!" Sora called. We ran towards him. He stood up. "What happened?"

"I spotted this strange guy all dressed in black." Phil said. "I chased after him, but he turned on me. Next thing I know, I'm seeing stars."

"All dressed in black?!" Donald said.

"He's the one who stole the Olympus Stone." Sora said. "Where did he run off to?"

"To the Underworld." Phil said. He turned to the door that used to be blocked by the fire barrier, but it was gone now. "He's a bad apple, all right. And all I wanted was to find a backup hero. Just in case Herc needed to take a break."

"You've already got some!" I said, ruffling Sora's spiky head of hair.

"You know someone?!"

"Hello?!" Donald cried as he and Sora struck their battle stances.

"Oh, good one..." They scowled.

"Come on, we've got some Nobodies to deal with." I said, dragging away the frustrated two with Goofy following behind.

* * *

><p>As we ventured deeper into the Underworld, I could feel it draining away my strength. I could tell the others were experiencing the same thing. We walked into a room, where we saw the black-robed man. He turned around and jumped.<p>

"Ah! You!" he cried. He took off his hood. He had dirty blond hair styled in a weird mullet-like way and cyan eyes. Demyx. He looked intensely at Sora. "Wait a minute... Roxas?"

Sora had a look of bewilderment. "Excuse me?"

Demyx looked at me. "Callum?"

My blood ran cold.

"Guys? Oh, it's no use..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?" Sora said.

Demyx pulled out an index card. "Let's see, here... "If the subjects fail to respond, use aggression to liberate their true disposition"...Riiiight... Did they ever pick the wrong guy for this one..."

"You're bizarre..." Sora said, crossing his arms.

"He... he must be trying to psych us out or something." I said.

Demyx pulled out a small, flat, golden object with a lightning bolt marking on it.

"He's gotta be the thief!" Goofy said.

"Now that's just plain rude!" Demyx said.

He lifted the Olympus Stone above him and he was showered in light. He summoned a blue sitar with a strange symbol on it. As he played it, strange water creatures appeared and moved around the room. I summoned Chaos Ripper and we attacked the water creatures. As one changed its shape to a dancing note, I grabbed the tail and swung it around, destroying other water forms. When it was finished, Demyx stumbled back, clutching his shoulder.

"Roxas, Callum, come back to us!"

Demyx disappeared in a swirl of darkness.

"Guy's a broken record." Sora said, slinging his Keyblade onto his shoulder.

"Hey, look!" Donald said.

He walked over to the ground and picked up the Olympus Stone. He came back over and handed it to Sora. Sora lifted the Stone up like Demyx did. We were showered in light and I felt my strength replenish.

"I wonder who that guy was talking about. This... Roxas and Callum?" Sora said. He looked to me. "Do you have any idea?"

"N-no." I said.

"Are you sure?"

"Don't you have something better to do besides pester me with questions?!" I snapped.

Sora flinched. His blue eyes dimmed and I immediately hated myself. I clenched my fist and turned around, walking ahead to the door and ignoring the sting of guilt that settled in my stomach.

"R-right... Let's go. Meg needs our help." Sora said to Donald and Goofy.

* * *

><p>The room's walls were covered in carved vines. Torches with flickering white fire were places in a wide circle around the room. In the center of the room was a large rock with a carving of Megara. Behind it was a pillar of swirling darkness.<p>

"This must be where Hades is keeping Meg." Sora said.

We noticed a small keyhole on the rock. Sora and I summoned our Keyblades and pointed them at the keyhole. The rock and the pillar of darkness disappeared, revealing a small curvature in the ground in the center of the room. We stepped in the middle of it and were taken to a bright area with blue walls and a snowy white floor.

"Meg!" I called. A flash of pain.

Meg turned to us and smiled in relief. She was tied up in strange charcoal-gray bonds. She stood next to Hades, who had his arms crossed and a smile on his face. He laughed.

"Now that's what I call a key." Hades said. He clapped his hands together. "Gee, thanks for your help! Now have a nice day."

Hades vanished in a pillar of smoke and fire.

"Sora, Hallie, behind you!" Meg cried.

There was a sinister chuckle behind us. We turned to see a large cat dressed in blue, purple, and red armor.

"Pete!" Donald cried.

"Who's Pete?" I asked.

"He's a mean, old cat that's running around with the Heartless and causing nothing but trouble!" Goofy said.

"Why, thank you!" Pete said. He chuckled again. "What's wrong? Can't fight in the Underworld? Oh, boo, hoo, HOOO!" He laughed.

"Better think again!" Sora cried.

"CHARGE!" We struck our battle stances.

The number of Heartless that appeared eventually became too much.

"There's too many!" Sora said.

"Let's go!" I said. I turned to Meg and sliced off the chains that held her.

Pete stood, ready to attack, until he heard a noise behind him. He turned in time to get a face full of Hook Bats and he tumbled to the ground. Hercules ran past him towards us.

"Sorry I'm late!" Hercules said. He brought two fingers to his mouth and whistled. Pegasus came flying in, landing on Pete and knocking him out as he flew down next to Hercules. He picked up Megara and set her on Pegasus's back. "Get Meg out of here. I'll meet you back at the Coliseum."

"What about you?" Sora said.

"I'm gonna show these guys what happens when they mess with a true hero." Herc said, flexing his biceps.

We nodded. Hercules patted Pegasus and he took off with Megara. We ran past a dazed Pete who was struggling to get up.

"Now, wait a sec!" He cried. He ran after us, but Hercules stood in his way.

* * *

><p>"Sora, Hallie... I can't leave him." Megara said when we were back down at The Lock.<p>

"He'll be okay." Sora said.

"Look, even Herc has his limits. He can't keep winning forever."

"Then we'll go help him." I said. Pegasus lowered his head to me. "Get Megara out of here."

I petted his head. He whinnied and took off.

* * *

><p>"Hmph! This place gives me the creeps." Pete said. "I'll deal with you nitwits next time!"<p>

"I guess the C in cat also stands for Coward." I smirked as Pete ran off.

The room began to rumble. Pebbles fell from the ceiling onto us.

"Let's go!" Donald cried.

* * *

><p>"Could this day get any better?!" Hades laughed. "This time Wonder-breath is going down for good, as well as his bratty Keyblade friends."<p>

The male personage shook his head and leaned against the wall.

"Did your brain fall out of your ears this morning, or are you naturally this stupid?" he said casually. "I said leave them to me."

"I don't think so, pretty boy!" Hades said. "It's my Underworld, I do what I want!"

The male chuckled and a smirk could be felt from him. He straightened up as he glowered with darkness.

"Fine, then. Go frolic with the dead souls in the meantime... because you'll soon be spending a lot of time with them."

The male disappeared in a portal of darkness. Hades scowled.

* * *

><p>"Well, if it isn't everyone's favorite hero washout. You really blew it this time." a voice said.<p>

We turned to see Hades approach us.

"No one likes a sore loser, Hades." I said.

Hades glared at me.

"Can it, key brat!" Hades said. His flaming blue hair turned red. "Do you know how much trouble you've caused me?! You and your stupid-!"

Hades recognized the look of confusion and fear on my face. His hair turned blue again and he grinned.

"Oohhhh, that's right..." Hades said. "Now, where was I? Oh, yes... you know, Hero-boy, maybe you should go check on the Hydra you neglected to finish off. I hear things are really FALLING APART up there, champ."

Hades glanced at me again, chuckled, then disappeared.

"Hate to run, but I've got another little diversion to attend to." Hercules said.

Hercules ran off.

"Let's go with him." Goofy said. We nodded.

* * *

><p>Hercules fell to his knees. "This can't be..."<p>

We ran forward towards Hercules. Sora stopped as a large piece of rubble crashed down right in front of him. As the dust subsided, the Hydra roared above the destroyed ruins of the Coliseum. Megara, Pegasus, and Phil ran over to Hercules.

"Champ! You're safe!" Phil said.

"I failed..." Hercules said.

"It's not your fault!" Megara said.

"I left everyone unprotected." Hercules pounded his fists into the ground. "Hades was right. I'm just a... a washout."

"Aw, come on, champ! I didn't train you to think like that."

"Wonderboy..."

"Phil's right. This is no time to beat yourself up." Sora said.

"I'm some hero..." Hercules bowed his head.

The Hydra roared.

"Sora, that Hydra's going to do worse if we don't do anything to stop it." I said.

"Right." Sora said.

Megara carried Hercules away to safety. We struck our battle poses.

"Don't suppose you've got room for one more?" Phil said, posing like a kungfu amateur.

"We're in." Meg said. Pegasus stood on his rear feet and posed.

We charged. The Hydra swung his tail against the ground and we jumped out of the way. As it lowered its head, we attacked it. The Hydra plowed its head into the ground. Three Hydra heads popped out.

"Get up on the Hydra's back!" Phil cried.

Sora and I jumped onto its back. Phil hurled a large pot over at us. We jumped in the air and struck it with our Keyblades. It came down and crashed onto the Hydra. The heads fell to the ground, unconscious. As we destroyed all three heads, the Hydra squirmed and lifted its neck up from the ground. Nine more Hydra heads grew.

"You've got to be kidding me!" I cried.

We heard a whinny pierce the air. I looked up to see Pegasus flying down to us. Sora and I looked at each other and nodded. As Pegasus swept down, we jumped onto his back. He took us into the air. He flew us through the tangle of Hydra heads. When one would try to attack us, we would slash at it with our Keyblades. Pegasus dropped us off onto the ground. The Hydra stood there, all of its heads laying there unconscious.

"Ready?" I said.

"Of course!" Sora said.

We ran forward. At the foot of the unconscious Hydra, we zipped forward with our Keyblades and lunged at the Hydra. Up in the air, we had the perfect view of the headless Hydra. Pegasus flew towards us with Megara riding. She reached out and grabbed my hand. I reached out and grabbed Sora's hand. They took us to the ground. We watched the Hydra roar as it collapsed to the ground. One of its heads landed in front of us.

"Ew." I said. "And I thought the Underworld was disgusting."

* * *

><p>We gathered around Hercules, who sat on the leftovers of a staircase.<p>

"I let you down. I'm just... no use."

"It's not your fault. Hey, even a god would be exhausted." Meg, who was sitting next to him, said.

"She's right. Give yourself a chance to rest." Sora said.

"Yeah. Don't beat yourself up. So you lost one time, so what? Even though that lost resulted in the destruction of the Coliseum..." I said.

"And HOW is that supposed to be encouraging?" Donald said.

"My point is... you can't let one loss keep you from forgetting your countless wins. And if you do fail at something or make a mistake, don't spend the rest of your life hating yourself, you'll only regret it! Use that loss and let it help you get stronger and better!"

"Wow. That's deep." Sora said. I elbowed him in the side.

Megara stood up and brushed herself off. "Don't worry about Wonderboy here. I'll look after him. Hallie, Sora, Donald, Goofy, I owe you big time."

"Hey, it's no big deal." Sora said. "Just let us know if Hades or the Heartless start acting up. We'll take care of it!"

"Yeah, that's what heroes are for!" Donald cried triumphantly.

"Junior heroes, that is." I smiled.

"Let's save that for another time. We have to hit the road." Sora said.

"Don't be strangers." Megara said.

"Yeah, take care! Stay a little longer next time. We got some serious training to catch up on." Phil said. "Especially you, Hallie. You got potential to be a real hero."

"Um, thanks?" I giggled nervously.

"Hey, what about us?!" Sora said. "Oh, I almost forgot. The Olympus Stone."

Hercules wearily stood up and limped over to Sora. Before he could take it, the Stone began to shimmer with a bright light. Sora and I smiled at each other. We traveled to the heart of the world and sealed the keyhole.


	10. Property Venture

**CHAPTER TEN**

"So this is your castle." Sora said. "Must be nice to be home, huh?"

Donald and Goofy looked around. They seemed troubled.

"Ya know, somethin' just don't feel quite right..." Goofy said.

"Yeah." Donald said, crossing his arms.

"You're back!" a squeaky voice cried.

We turned to see two little chipmunks dressed in yellow aprons with tools scamper over to us.

"Move it! Let's go!" the second chipmunk's voice sounded like a teenage boy going through puberty.

"Queen Minnie needs to see you!" the first chipmunk said.

"The castle's in danger! Hurry! To the library!"

* * *

><p>The courtyard was littered with Heartless. Every step we took was infested with Soldiers, Shadows, and Minute Bombs. We ran down the hallway, fighting off Shadows, and I noticed a giant door in the middle of the hallway that was protected by a light pink barrier. We entered the library where Queen Minnie was with some Magic Brooms running around.<p>

"Your Majesty! Queen Minnie! We're back!" Donald said, standing at attention and saluting.

Queen Minnie turned around and smiled.

"You're here!" she said.

Goofy saluted. "Your Royal Highness, did ya happen to summon us?"

"Yes."

Sora and I walked next to Donald and Goofy. Sora ruffled their heads.

"Where's the King?" Sora said.

"Sora, show some respect!" I whispered.

Queen Minnie stared at us.

"Excuse him. These are our friends Sora and Hallie." Donald said.

"Oh, yes! The King told me all about you two in his letters." Queen Minnie said. "Sora, he told me that you're a very brave young man." Sora wore a smug smile.

"And Hallie, he told me that you are very, very special." I gave her a flabbergasting look.

"So, do you know where he is?" Sora asked.

Minnie shook her head. We sighed.

"Your Majesty, what are Heartless doing in your castle?" Donald said.

"Oh my... So those are the Heartless." Minnie said.

"Don't worry, we'll take care of 'em!" Sora said.

"I know I can't count on you." Minnie said. "Now, there's something I'd like all of you to come and see. Would you please escort me to the audience chamber?"

Sora, Donald, and Goofy saluted while standing at attention.

"Sure." I said, rolling my eyes. Queen Minnie gasped.

"I forgot to warn everyone else in the castle about the danger!" she cried. "We must be sure they're hidden somewhere safe!"

"Okay, we'll go tell them." Sora said.

"The whole castle?!" Donald said.

"We just gotta split up, Donald." Goofy said.

"I'll make sure that everyone knows what's going on." Sora said.

"No, Sora, you'll just get lost!" Donald said.

"Donald, Goofy, you guys go and warn everyone. Sora, you and I will stay with the Queen." I said.

"All righty then." Goofy said. "See ya later!"

Donald and Goofy turned around and ran out.

"Um, the audience chamber, right, ma'am?" Sora said.

"Yes, Sora. Let's be on our way." Minnie said.

* * *

><p>We made our way across the hallway, fighting off Shadows and protecting Minnie. We approached the large door covered in the barrier.<p>

"Just one moment." Minnie said. She turned towards the door and held up her hand. "As soon as the trouble started, I made sure to seal this room."

The pink barrier faded. The large doors didn't open, but a smaller section of the door opened before us.

"Now then... shall we?" Minnie said. We nodded.

We entered the audience chamber, and it was very big and spacious. A red carpet with gold corners ran down from the door all the way to the throne at the end of the room. Giant pillars stood on the sides of the walls. Suddenly, Bolt Towers came down from the ceiling. Sora and I summoned our Keyblades.

Queen Minnie gasped. "Not here, too!"

"We'll take care of them." I said.

We fought the Bolt Towers while slowly moving down the room to the throne. When we arrived, more Bolt Towers approached us.

"Come on, gimme a break!" Sora said.

Queen Minnie approached the throne. She examined it for a moment then touched the bottom of one of the arm rests. The entire throne area moved to the left. As it did, the room was consumed with light. We covered our eyes, and when we opened them, the Heartless were gone.

"Whoa..." Sora and I said.

"The room below is called the 'Hall of the Cornerstone.' Our castle has always been safe from worlds that are evil thanks to the Cornerstone of Light which we keep down there." Queen Minnie said.

"The Cornerstone... of Light?" Sora said.

We followed Minnie down the stairs into the Hall of the Cornerstone. The area was covered with large dark vines with jagged thorns. In the center of the room was a giant glass orb with a shimmering green light in the middle, seated on a white pedestal.

"This is the castle's cherished Cornerstone." Minnie said. "But look. The thorns... They must be the work of someone very evil. I wonder what this could mean..."

We walked beside Minnie. Suddenly, a green fire ignited in front of the Cornerstone and the image of a woman dressed in a long black and purple cloak and a black horned headdress. She had a green tint to her skin and she held a staff with a green orb on the end.

"Maleficent!" Donald cried.

"No way!" Sora said. "She's supposed to be..."

Maleficent turned around and smirked at us.

"Well, well, well. What have we here...? If it isn't the wretched Keyblade holder, and his pitiful lackeys!" Maleficent said. She looked directly at me. "I see you've found yet another Keyblade holder to join you on your 'quest'."

"What?! Now you're gonna deal with me!" Donald cried. He ran towards Maleficent and lunged, but he phased right through her and crashed into the Cornerstone.

"All in good time. I promise you'll be able to partake of my vengeance. But you must be patient." Maleficent said.

"Just what are you doing here, Maleficent!?" Minnie said.

"Ah, Queen Minnie. Radiant, as always." Maleficent bowed. "I'm here on a property venture. I want this castle for my own. However, it's a bit too "bright" for what I have in mind. I suppose I'll just have to fill every room with my personal touch of darkness."

Maleficent turned around and tried to touch the Cornerstone, but she was shocked back by its light. Sora and I summoned our Keyblades and struck our battle stances.

"You'd better stop right now if you know what's good for you!" Minnie said.

"There's no way you're getting this castle! Not on our watch!" I said.

"Ooh, how frightening. Very well, I'll stop..." Maleficent said. "Just as soon as the castle belongs to me!"

Maleficent disappeared in a blaze of green fire. Her maniacal cackle echoed in the room a few seconds after she left.

"What a hag." Sora mumbled.

"Nothing like this has ever happened before." Minnie said. "I looked through all the records in the library, but I couldn't find a single clue."

"Ohhh! We should go ask somebody who knows lotsa stuff that ain't in any book!" Goofy said.

"Merlin the Wizard!" Donald cried.

"Yes! That's perfect!" Queen Minnie said. "Merlin just might know something about this mess. Let's ask his advice!"

"Let's head back to Hollow Bastion." Sora said.

I huffed a frustrated breath that disrupted the hair on my forehead. It's been a while since I've seen the Hollow Bastion Committee of Crazy.

* * *

><p>"Merlin!" Donald cried when we entered his home.<p>

"Anybody home?" Sora called.

"The castle's in danger!" Goofy called.

There was a poof behind us. We turned to see Merlin.

"What is all that racket?" Merlin said. "Ho-ho! I thought- oh, it's you! It looks like you've learned a bit since the last time I saw you."

"Really?!" Sora said.

Donald cried out. "Wait a minute! Let's talk about the problem! It's Maleficent! She's back!"

"Where? Inside the castle?!" Merlin said.

"There's a whole bunch of Heartless too!" I said.

"Oh, dear..."

Donald rambled on about the problem. There was a poof. We looked around and we were at Disney Castle.

"Perhaps, I'd better just see for myself." Merlin said. Donald crossed his arms. Merlin examined the Cornerstone. "Mmm-hmm... interesting..."

"What's happening, Merlin?" Minnie said.

"This is not good. In fact, I'm afraid it's quite serious." Merlin said.

He turned around and cleared his throat. He waved his hands in the air. There was a poof and a silver door appeared.

"What's that?" Sora asked.

"My boy, that is a gateway to a special world. Someone in that world is responsible for what's going on in this castle. Of that, I'm certain." Merlin said.

"We knew we could count on you, Merlin!" Goofy said.

Sora approached the door. "Then we should go get him!"

"Wait a moment! The perpetrators must be stopped, of course. But there's something else to do first. Somewhere in that world, there should be another door that's identical to this one. I believe our enemies are utilizing that door. As long as it remains open, the castle will be in grave danger." Merlin said. "Hallie, Sora, listen carefully. You must find that door. And when you do- lock it with your Keyblades."

"Got it." Sora said.

"You can count on us." I said.

"Now, one more thing. You're heading into a very special world." Merlin said. "While you're there, the nature of that world may tempt you to do something dark. You must resist that temptation at all costs!"

We looked at each other, confused.

"What do you mean?" Sora said.

"You'll know soon enough. I have faith in you, my lads and lass!" Merlin said.

"You guys ready?" Sora asked us.

We nodded. Sora opened the door and we stepped inside.


	11. How Could We Refuse?

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

The door jerked side to side. The doors burst open and we all flew out and onto the ground. We propped ourselves up on our arms and looked around.

"Hey, look! There's the Cornerstone of Light!" Goofy said.

"Whoa! What's with your faces?!" I cried.

"That's not very nice, Hallie!" Sora said.

"No, really! Everything looks all weird!" I said. I brought my hands up to my face. My skin and clothes were all black and white. My arms and legs were unnaturally thin.

"What's going on? Everything's black and white." Sora said, examining his hands.

"Hey, this is kinda like... um... uh..." Donald said, who looked the freakiest out of all of us.

"Deja vu?" Goofy said.

"Yeah, that's it!"

"Really? Have you been here before?" Sora said.

Suddenly, a big cat-looking creature ran past us. It was Pete! He stopped and approached us.

"Hey you! Seen any bad guys around here?" Pete said.

We looked at each other, then back at Pete. We pointed at him. He gaped at us.

"Why I oughta..." Pete said, bringing up his fists. We assumed our battle stances. Pete stopped and placed his fists on his hips. "Bah! I don't have time to waste on punks like you. So I guess I'll go easy on ya!"

Pete turned around and ran away towards the Pier.

"Well, there's our villain." Sora said. Donald and Goofy nodded.

"But wait, guys." I said. "Something about Pete seems... different. I mean, he didn't call any Heartless or anything."

"So? Merlin said that there was something running around here causing trouble at Disney Castle. It's Pete!" Sora said.

I shook my head. "Fine. Let's go after him."

* * *

><p>We ran to the Pier. We approached Pete, who was standing there looking at the stream. He turned around and scowled.<p>

"What's with you squirts? You got some kinda bone to pick with me?" Pete said.

"More than one!" Sora said.

"Them's fighting words!" Pete cried, revving up his fists.

There was a whistle. Pete looked off in a direction and walked off the pier. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran around and blocked his path.

"Not so fast!" Sora said, summoning Kingdom Key.

I watched Pete. He brought up his fists, ready to swing them.

_This is strange._ _He should've summoned a bunch of Heartless and run away by now..._

The three boys attacked Pete. I was surprised to see Pete's stance make him look intimidating, but when he was actually getting his butt kicked, all he did was run around like a scared little girl and throw poorly aimed punches. He fell back on his butt.

"What's you punks' beef with me anyway?" Pete said. He stared at Sora, Donald, and Goofy intently. "Who are ya? You new around here?"

"Cut the act!" Sora said.

There was another whistle. Pete stood up. He tried to run, but there was a crack and he fell back again.

"Ooh, ow!" he cried, clutching his head.

"You know, somethin' doesn't seem quite right here." Goofy said. "Are you sure you're Pete?"

"Well, of COURSE I'm Pete. I'm the captain of the steamboat. So stop botherin' me, see?!" Pete said. He groaned again and clutched his head again. "So hit the road! I gotta go find the little runt what stole my boat!"

"Gawrsh, maybe we made a mistake..." Goofy said.

"That's what I've tried to tell you!" I cried, crossing my twig arms. "He didn't call any Heartless, he didn't have any little tricks up his non-existent sleeves, and, come on, just LOOK at him! Yes, this is Pete, but it's not the one we know."

We approached Pete.

"Sorry we attacked ya like that, Capt'n Pete." Goofy said.

Pete looked at us. He jumped to his feet.

"Oh yeah?! Well, if you're really sorry, then go find my steamboat." Pete said.

"Y-yes sir!" Sora said.

* * *

><p>We returned to the Cornerstone.<p>

"I thought for sure Pete was the bad guy." Sora said, placing his hands behind his head.

"Aw, that would be too easy!" Donald said.

"C'mon, fellas. Let's try to find that steamboat." Goofy said.

"I guess we DID say we would..."

"But we also have a door to find." I said.

"Oh, yeah. That, too."

"I don't see any doors." Donald said as he looked around.

"Well, if we actually went searching, we'd probably find it." I said, crossing my arms.

Sora turned his head. "Hey, what's this?"

We turned to see a floating stage window. Donald walked over and opened the curtain. We saw Cornerstone Hill. There were four windows, and we saw Heartless go into each window. They disappeared, and a second afterwards, it showed us being thrown into the world. The images stopped and the curtain closed.

"What was that?" Sora said.

"Heartless goin' out..." Goofy said.

"...and us coming in." Donald said.

"Maybe it was a vision or memory of the past." I said.

"What does it mean?" Sora said.

Donald tried to open the curtain again, but to no avail. We stood around in silence. I looked behind the three and saw the four windows from the memory.

"I know one thing it does mean." I said, pointing at the windows. "We have to go and stop those Heartless!"

"Then what'll we do?" Goofy said.

"We'll worry about that later!" Sora said.

* * *

><p>The first window we went through took us to a construction site.<p>

"What're they building?" Sora asked.

"Look out!" Goofy cried.

Sora turned around as a Hammer Frame jumped down in front of him. Sora assumed his battle stance, but suddenly, a small mouse came swinging in from a rope and plowed right through the Hammer Frame.

"The King!" Donald said.

_King Mickey?_

"Gee, he seems kinda different somehow..." Goofy said.

More Hammer Frames hopped down onto the wooden platform.

"Now, let's get those Heartless!" Sora said, summoning his Keyblade.

We attacked and defeated the Hammer Frames without causing too much mayhem on the platform. When we were finished, Mickey came scurrying up to Sora, shook his hand aggressively, and ran off.

"Okay..." Sora said.

"Hey, look!" Goofy said.

Another stage window appeared. Donald opened it. The images showed Maleficent talking to someone. That is, it was more insults than other words. We heard another voice that sounded familiar.

"That didn't make any sense." I said.

"Well, let's focus on getting rid of the Heartless." Sora said.

The second and third windows were about a mysterious person discovering the other door and showing Maleficent. The fourth window was interesting. We saw Maleficent standing next to the other door.

"Listen well. On the other side of this portal, they're about to begin construction on that wretch castle." Maleficent said. "But until then, their treasured Cornerstone of Light lies unguarded, with all of its powers still contained!"

"The Cornerstone... of Light?" the mysterious voice said.

"Yes! That cursed sphere is the very thing that prevents us from entering the castle."

"Oh."

"You know what must be done?"

"Uh..."

"Go then. Time to prove your worth! And don't dare to fail me again!"

Maleficent turned to leave. We saw a hand reach out, then a shoulder, then the back of a very familiar looking cat head.

"Don't fail her again... let's see..." Two ears perked up. "That's it! I just gotta smash that Cornerstone to smithereens!"

There was Pete, standing there with a sinister grin on his face. He let out an evil laugh. He walked up to the door and opened it.

"But first... I gotta go get my old boat back."

The image faded.

"It was Pete after all!" Sora said.

"Why, he tricked us!" Donald said.

"Still, something doesn't seem right." Goofy said.

Sora crossed his arms. "The Pete we met here had kind of an attitude, but he didn't seem like a bad guy..."

I looked past them and gasped.

"Look!" I cried, pointing. The real Pete turned around, chuckled, and ran down the path to the Waterway.

"That's the Pete we know!" Sora said.

"Oh, no!" Goofy cried.

We ran to the Cornerstone... well, that is, the pedestals where the Cornerstone should be.

"The Cornerstone's gone!" Sora cried.

"They're gonna fill the castle with darkness! We gotta hurry!" Goofy said.

Captain Pete ran by us, holding his side and panting.

"Hey, hold it right there!" Sora said.

"No way, small fry! I finally found the pipsqueak what stole my steamboat!" Pete said.

"Yeah, it was you!" Donald said.

"Right, me!" Pete said. He stopped and shook his head. "No! No! It's wasn't me! It's just somebody who looks like me!"

"Aw, WHICH IS IT?!" Sora groaned, holding his head in his hands.

"Come on, we can't let our Pete get away!" I said.

* * *

><p>We ran to the Waterway, where Captain Pete and Pete were tangled in a fist fight next to a steamboat. The Cornerstone was strapped to the back and trapped in a wooden cage.<p>

"Back off and give me the boat!" Pete cried. He punched Captain Pete and sent him flying. He jumped onto the top of the Cornerstone.

"The Cornerstone!" Donald cried.

We ran to the side of the river as the steamboat cruised into the river and away.

"Later, losers!" Pete cried.

He threw pieces of garbage at us. Sora and I summoned our Keyblades and sent the trash hurtling back into Pete. The steamboat spun out of control and landed next to the riverbank.

"Now's our chance!" I said.

Sora grabbed onto the hook connected to the boat and I hopped onto the cage. We attacked it. Every now and then, the hook would move and threaten to shove us back onto the land, but Sora would fasten himself onto the hook while I held onto the cage. Finally, the cage broke, and Pete fell into the water. He surfaced, sputtering and coughing up water.

"You'll pay for this!" he cried, shaking his fist.

The wooden platform holding the Cornerstone smacked into his head. The steamboat came to a stop. Pete came out of the water, glared at the Cornerstone, and took off to the Wharf.

"It's the Cornerstone!" Donald said.

"Donald, Pete's heading for the doorway! We gotta go!" Sora called.

We ran to the Wharf, where the two Petes were fighting again. Pete slammed his fist into Captain Pete's face. Captain Pete fell back onto his back and sat up crying and holding his face.

"Ha! You're still a little wet behind the ears!" Pete taunted.

"Then try us!" Sora said as we ran forward and struck our battle stances.

Captain Pete knocked us out of the way and charged towards Pete. As we fought, periodically Pete would run away and we would chase him to different areas: the construction platform, the room with the black hole, and the wharf. Finally, we trapped him in the wharf. Pete fell back onto the ground.

"It serves ya right!" Captain Pete said.

Pete stood up, groaning, and turned his back on us. He summoned the second doorway and went through.

"Yeah... Annnd stay out!" Captain Pete said.

"Hallie, the door." Sora said.

"Right." I said.

We ran forward and pointed our Keyblades at the door. A keyhole appeared. Beams of light shot into the keyhole and the door disappeared.

"Would somebody tell me what's been goin' on here? Who was that creep, anyways?" Captain Pete said.

"Hello?! That creep was-" Sora said, but Goofy covered his mouth.

"Sora, that's a secret!" Goofy said.

"Secret? What kinda secret? Oh, never mind." Captain Pete said. "Sorry I put you guys through all that trouble."

"Yeah, well, just don't make a habit out of it!" Donald said.

Sora, Goofy, and I snickered.

"And to show ya my appreciation, I'll let you pilot my steamboat. Best little craft on the river!" Captain Pete said. "My deck hand Mickey's late anyways."

"With an offer like that, how could we refuse?" I said.

* * *

><p>The pipes of the boat let off smoke to the beat of a cowbell. Sora steered the steamboat, bobbing his head to the sounds. Donald jumped up and pulled the cord that hung from the roof and the three horns on top bellowed. I sat on the boat railing next to Sora, swinging my legs back and forth to the ticking. I smiled to myself and giggled.<p>

"Something funny?" Sora said.

"Oh, I don't know..." I said. "I just feel really happy."

Sora raised his eyebrow and shrugged. I found myself giggling again.

* * *

><p>We placed the Cornerstone back on its proper pedestal.<p>

"I bet the castle's safe, now." Goofy said.

"I guess we should head back." Sora said.

"Wait! As long as we're here..." Donald said.

"Donald!" Sora and Goofy said.

"Remember what Merlin said?" I said.

Donald protested as Sora and Goofy grabbed him and dragged him to the doorway. I opened the door and Sora and Goofy hurled Donald through the door.

* * *

><p>The doorway wiggled around. The doors opened and Donald came tumbling out, followed by me, Sora, and Goofy. The room was rid of the dark thorns.<p>

I sighed as I looked at my hands. "It's nice to have color and a proportionate body again."

"Welcome back!" Queen Minnie said. Chip, Dale, and Merlin stood beside her. "Because of your bravery, the castle is safe and protected again. Thank you so much for all you've done!"

"Good work, you guys!" Chip and Dale exclaimed.

"Now, I hope you didn't do anything reckless while you were there?" Merlin said.

"Of course not!" Donald said. The rest of us giggled.

From the corner of the door, we saw a female duck wearing a purple dress and a tiara peek in. Donald turned around and smiled.

"Daisy!" Donald said. Donald and Daisy walked to each other.

"Who's Daisy?" Sora said.

"Daisy is Donald's very special sweetheart." Goofy said.

"Really..." Sora put his hands behind his head and I placed mine together behind me.

Donald smiled at Daisy, but Daisy put her hands on her hips and scowled.

"Donald, you forgot about our date again! You'd better have a good excuse this time!" Daisy said.

"But Daisy... I..." Donald said.

"I know it's an important mission, but you could at least check in every once in a while."

Donald looked over at us, but we pretended to be interested in something else.

"Sora!" Donald complained. He glanced at the doorway to Timeless River and snickered mysteriously.

"Donald..." we all said.

"Just be a minute!" Donald said.

He ran for the door, but Daisy grabbed his tail.

"Going somewhere?!" she said.

"Of course not!"

Donald broke away and Daisy chased him around the room while we laughed.

"Oh, look!" Minnie said.

The Cornerstone began to shimmer and Chaos Ripper appeared in my hands. Sora and I looked at each other and we pointed our Keyblades diagonal to the ground. We were taken to the heart of the world and sealed away the keyhole.

"Daisy, we need Donald for just a little longer." Sora said.

"How much longer?" Daisy said, crossing her arms.

"Um... well..."

"I'll be back soon, Daisy!" Donald said.

"Well..." Daisy said.

"Daisy, I promise that when all of this is over, you and Donald will be together again..." I said.

I sighed and placed a hand over my heart. I looked up and Sora was staring at me. I cleared my throat.

"Um, we should get going." I said.

"Right." Sora said. "Queen Minnie, please tell the King that we're still looking for him."

"I will. Oh, Hallie! I must let you know Mickey has many things to discuss with you." Minnie said.

I raised my eyebrows. "Me? But why? What?"

"I don't know. But it must be very important."

"Okay... thank you."

"Take care!" Queen Minnie said.


	12. Almost Instantaneously

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

"This place is... kind of different." Sora said, crossing his arms.

The world we were in was dark, like it was permanently set to nighttime. We stood on the Rampart and looked over the blackened sea. When we stepped off, we heard a woman's scream. We ran to the side and jumped up onto the wall to look over it.

"Something's up." Sora said.

"Organization XIII?" Goofy said.

"Or the Heartless!" Donald said.

"Or something completely different." I said.

"There's only one way to find out." Sora said.

* * *

><p>We ran down to the outsides of the town and saw Pete talking with a group of pirates.<p>

"Hey!" Sora called. We struck our battle stances.

"See? Those are the punks I was tellin' ya about." Pete said.

"If anyone here is a punk, it's you!" I said.

"It's Sora, Hallie, Donald, and Goofy to you! And don't you forget it!" Sora said.

"That we won't. And we'll engrave it on your tombstone, to be sure." one pirate said.

"Whoa! I like your style!" Pete said.

"Men- half of you stay here and indulge these cullies. The rest- bring me that medallion!" the pirate said.

"AYE!" the crew cried.

"So we only have the pleasure of squashing only a few of you?" I said.

The head pirate chuckled. We tried to attack the crew, but they weren't affecting them at all.

"It's no use! We can't beat them!" Sora said.

"Aye, whaddya expect?" one of the pirates said.

The clouds parted and the area was bathed in moonlight. We gasped as the pirates changed into skeletons.

"Ya best be sayin' your prayers!" another pirate said.

"Hey, watch out! They can see ya!" Pete said. "Stay away from their magic!"

"Thanks for the tidbit, Pete!" Sora said. Pete gulped.

We attacked again, knocking down all the pirates in their exposed cursed state.

"Hey! This ain't over!" Pete said. He turned around and walked away.

"He's like the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz..." I said.

"The what?" Sora said.

"Nevermind."

"Well, if Pete's here, then we've got work to do."

"Yup. And that pirate captain looked pretty mean, too." Goofy said.

"I'd hate to see him turn into a Heartless." Sora said. "Hey, maybe we can take a pirate ship out for a spin!"

I scowled. I walked over to Sora and smacked him in the back of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?!" he said.

"Because I think that weird little pirate curse affected you too." I said, which earned a snicker from Donald and Goofy.

Sora put his hands behind his head. "I was just kidding! Hey, didn't those pirate guys go into the town?"

"Yeah. I think they were looking for treasure." Goofy said.

* * *

><p>"Elizabeth!" a man with combed brown hair and brown eyes cried. He ran up the stairs, only to get surrounded by Heartless. "What are they?"<p>

"It's the Heartless! Watch out!" Donald cried.

We ran in front of the man.

"We'll take care of them. Go, take cover!" Sora said.

The man looked at us for a moment, then turned and ran off. When we finished fighting the Heartless, the man came out and approached us.

"Well done! My own fencing skills are not to be ashamed of... but I've never faced foes such as that before." the man said.

Sora put his hands behind his head and smiled. "You really think we're that good?"

"Were you looking for someone named Elizabeth?" I asked. "Did you find her?"

"She was taken. I was too late. But I must rescue her!" the man said. "Would you help me?"

"Of course!" Sora said. "I'm Sora. This is Donald, Goofy, and Hallie."

"And I'm William Turner, but call me Will."

"Let's go, Will!"

"Right. We've got to head to the docks!"

* * *

><p>When we arrived at the docks, a large pirate ship was sailing away into the sea.<p>

"We're too late!" Will said.

"Huh?" Sora said.

"Those pirates kidnapped Miss Swann and took her to their ship." Will said. "Now they've sailed, and I'll never be able to find her!"

"Then, she's long gone. The Black Pearl is nigh uncatchable. Best find yourself another girl, mate." a voice said. We turned to see a man dressed in pirate garb with black dreadlocks decorated in beads and jewels. He returned to tending to the ship he was standing in.

"You... What are you doing aboard the Interceptor?" Will said. "She's off limits to civilians."

"Ah, fortunate that I'm going to commandeer her, then." the pirate man said. "She'll make a fine pirate ship."

"A pirate!" Sora said.

"Don't get any ideas, Sora." I said.

The pirate man stood up straight and faced us.

"Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please." he said.

"Take me with you. Help me hunt down the Black Pearl and save Miss Swann." Will said. "I got you out of that jail cell, Sparrow. Do this and your debt's repaid."

"You'll have to win fair lady's heart alone, mate." Jack said. "I see no profit in it for me."

"C'mon, Captain!" Sora said.

"Are you sure you can sail her, all on your own?" Will said.

Jack thought to himself, then jumped up onto the crossing plank. "You've a point there."

We climbed up the crossing plank.

"Thank you, Sparrow." Will said.

"CAPTAIN Sparrow." Jack said.

"I'm Sora. This is Hallie, Donald, and Goofy." Sora said.

"You know, one of these times you should let me do the introductions." I said as we boarded the ship.

"I'm Will Turner." Will said.

"That would be short for William, I imagine." Jack said. "No doubt named for your father, eh?"

"Yes."

"Well, then, Mr. Turner. You get us ready to make way. I've some effects to liberate."

I shuddered at the word 'liberate'.

"Aye-aye! But hurry." Will said.

"Naturally." Jack said. He walked away.

"Sora, do you really want to be a pirate?" Goofy said.

"Of course not!" Sora said. I rolled my eyes.

"What do you make of this Will?" Jack said.

"We just met him like 10 minutes ago..." I said.

"Hmm... I think my luck's about to change." Jack mumbled. He smiled to himself.

* * *

><p>The Interceptor cruised along on the dark sea. We all stood around Jack, who stood at the steering wheel staring at his compass.<p>

"Why are you so fixated on that compass?" Will said.

"It'll be she that leads us to the Isla de Muerta where Barbossa's headed. Savvy?" Jack said.

"All this pirate talk is giving me a headache." I said, rubbing my temples.

"How do you know?" Sora said.

Jack closed his compass and place it in his pocket. "Ah, lad... He and I once had our eyes on a treasure- Aztec gold. 'Twas hidden on the Isla de Muerta. But he turned traitor and stole my ship." he said.

"So, he's after the treasure, then." Will said.

Jack turned to Will and placed a hand on his hip. "Treasure's already his. So's the curse upon it."

"You mean whatever is causing him and his crew to look like the walking dead?" I said.

"Aye, lass. I've no desire for such treacherous spoils." Jack said. "But I will have back what's mine- the Black Pearl."

Jack turned around and returned his focus to the waters in front of him.

* * *

><p>We docked at the Isla de Muerta and gathered on its rocky path.<p>

"You lads and lass wait here." Jack said. "Young Turner and I will rescue the lady."

"Hey! What about us?" Sora said.

"You're to guard the ship, o' course." Jack said. "It's a task given only to the bravest pirates."

"All right..."

"Guard her well!"

Jack and Will turned around and ran down the pathway. We returned to the ship, but the wait made us all grow impatient fairly quick.

"I think he was just trying to fast-talk us..." Sora said.

"And you fell for it the moment he said "pirate"." I said.

"What's keeping those two?" Sora said, crossing his arms and clearly changing the subject.

"They sure are taking their time..." Goofy said.

"Do you think something could be wrong?" I said. "We should go and look for them."

"If Pete's hanging around, there must be Heartless here, too." Sora said. "And Jack and Will aren't used to fighting Heartless."

"There's only one way to find out." I said.

We boarded off of the ship.

* * *

><p>As we ran across the path into Isla de Muerta, Will and Elizabeth, a tall young woman with blond hair, brown eyes, and wearing a long yellow dress, came running up to us.<p>

"Quick! They're after us!" Will said.

"But where's Jack?" I asked.

We heard footsteps. We turned to see pirates running towards us.

"We'll hold them off! Give us a sign when the ship's ready to sail!" Sora said.

"Right! We'll light the signal fire!" Will said.

I summoned Chaos Ripper and struck my battle stance. One pirate aimed a gun at me. I gasped and brought my Keyblade up and deflected the bullet, sending it back to him. Another pirate stood in front of me. He swung his axe at me. I backshuffled, and when he paused, I slashed at him. He disappeared into a pile of dust and moldy gauze. I glanced at the ship. I could see smoke rising from it.

"The signal!" I called.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked towards the ship. We ran towards it. We climbed across the plank and onto the ship. I sighed in relief and sat down on the ground.

"Man, that was the longest minute of my life." I said. I leaned back on my hands and looked up at everyone. "So, you didn't answer my question. Where's Jack?"

"Well..." Will said. "He wouldn't let me do anything, so I... knocked him out. I had to. Jack's no fairy-tale pirate. The real ones aren't to be trusted."

"We can't just _leave_ him there." I stood up and crossed my arms. "We should go back and get him."

"First, we have to get Elizabeth back." Donald said.

"Let's head back to Port Royal." Sora said. "I'm sure that Jack can handle himself. He is a pirate after all."

* * *

><p>Elizabeth and Will retreated to the lower deck to discuss some things, so Will had me steer the ship. I gripped the wooden handles. Steering was easier than I thought. As I overlooked the sea, I noticed Sora in my peripheral view, looking at the water roll along. I felt a pang of guilt ring in my chest.<p>

"Hey, Sora?" I said.

Sora's ocean blue eyes landed on me and I gulped. He approached me.

"Yeah?" he said.

"Listen, I, um... I wanted to apologize for what happened back at Olympus Coliseum. You know, after we fought that Organization XIII member." I said.

Sora lowered his eyes. "Oh, right. That. You don't have to do that. I was sticking my nose in business that wasn't mine..."

"It wasn't that. It's just..." I took a deep breath. "I knew who he was talking about."

"You do?"

"I don't know the Roxas he mentioned, but Callum..."

"You don't have to talk about this if you want to."

"No, I want to. I need to get it off my chest." I gripped the steering wheel tightly. "When I was 8 years old, I met someone. A boy, to be more specific, my age, with brown messy hair and amber eyes, and his name was Callum. Where we met, I don't remember, but we seemed to click almost instantaneously. He was my best friend and he had my back when times were frustrating."

I took a deep, shaky breath. "But when I was 12, he disappeared. There was no explanation, no warning. It was like he just vanished into thin air. I'm sure I asked people what happened to him, but they were probably as clueless as me. I had the chilling thought that he had died, but something in my heart told me that he was still out there somewhere."

I found it hard to make eye contact with Sora, so I just stared that the empty waters ahead.

"I woke up in a realm of nothing before I came to Hollow Bastion. I don't know if I was rotting away there for days, weeks, years, whatever. My memory is wiped completely clean. My childhood, my past, it's all gone. But the only person that I still remember is Callum. He's why I agreed to join you, Donald, and Goofy on your adventure. I mean, yes, I do want to save the worlds and help you, but I'm hoping that, somewhere in this adventure, I can find Callum and we can be together again."

Sora was silent as he stared thoughtfully at me.

"He means a lot to you, huh?" Sora said.

"More than anything..." I said. "...I love him."

"Oh." Sora looked away awkwardly. I blushed and cleared my throat.

"Now that I've talked so much about best friends, tell me about yours. You've mentioned someone named Riku a few times." I said.

"Yeah, he's my best friend. I've been looking for him ever since we were separated from our home, Destiny Islands. He's... had some difficulties when it comes to the darkness. I'm looking for him and King Mickey during this adventure. I know I'll find him someday because I believe in myself."

My knuckles turned white from how tightly I was gripping the steering wheel. Sora reached out and placed his hand over mine.

"We'll find our friends. Together." Sora said. "I promise."

I looked at his hand and my breath caught in my throat. My grip on the wheel loosened and blood rushed into my hands again. I looked up at Sora. Even in the cloudy darkness, his blue eyes still sparkled. He smiled.

This boy is so different. So far since traveling around with him, he's been nothing but goofy, annoying, and a bit nosy. But this moment, something felt different. His words had a different tone to them. He was _sincere_. He was _tender_ and _caring_. And when he uttered his promise, he spoke with such assurance. He _knew_ that I would be able to find Callum again. Someday. His words calmed my aching soul. Could I ever one day speak and act with the same confidence as him?

A smile slowly crept onto my face.

_Promise... a__ seven letter word that holds an infinite amount of hope._


	13. Name Your Terms

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Will assumed his place at steering the wheel. As we rode along in silence, the cut of Elizabeth's panicked voice ended it.

"Look!" she cried, pointing out into the sea.

We all ran to the side of the ship and saw a large ship heading straight for us. I recognized the ship: the Black Pearl.

"What now?" Donald said.

"I wonder what Jack would do?" Sora said.

"I'm not sure." Will said. "I suppose... he'd run for it."

"Sounds good to me-" Sora said.

The ship lurched to the side. We jumped away from the edge, but Will fell over the side.

"Will!" Elizabeth cried.

"Everyone hit the deck!" Goofy cried.

We clung to the ship as it rumbled and jerked, like something was slamming into it. A medallion rolled away from Elizabeth's dress pocket. No one noticed as I looked around. I reached out and quickly snatched it up.

"Maybe Jack would run from this, but not us!" I said, standing up. "We fight back!"

"Right!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy said.

As everyone scurried around to prepare, I snuck a peek at the medallion in my hand. I placed it around my neck as a necklace and hid it underneath my shirt. I ran down with the others and summoned Chaos Ripper. Pirates jumped from the Black Pearl to the Interceptor. It was tricky to fight them while cannonballs were slamming into the side of the ship and causing it to swerve. When the pirates stopped coming, we ran to the cannons and sent a barrage of cannonballs at the other ship. It began to sink into the ocean.

"We did it!" Sora cried.

"Well, did you now, laddie?" a voice said. We turned to see Barbossa standing with some of his crew. Elizabeth and Jack stood next to him, tied with rope.

"Jack!" Sora said.

"Elizabeth!" I called.

We looked around to see nasty undead pirates surrounding us.

"Now then, I'll be having back that medallion." Barbossa said.

The boys didn't know I had it. They looked at each other for a moment, then struck their battle stances. Barbossa stepped forward.

"Unless it's more important than their lives?" he said.

"Barbossa!" Will stood on the edge of the ship, gripping one of the ropes. He cocked a gun and pointed it at Barbossa. "She goes free!"

"Go ahead boy- shoot! We can't die!" Barbossa said.

"You can't..." Will lowered the gun. "But I can. My name is Will Turner! My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner! His blood runs in my veins!"

Barbossa flinched in surprise.

"On my word, do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' Locker!" Will said. He jumped down from the edge.

"Name your terms... Mr. Turner." Barbossa said.

"Release Elizabeth... and Sora, and Hallie, and Donald, and Goofy, too!"

"Anything else?"

Behind Barbossa, Jack began jumping up and down, trying to get Will's attention.

"Leave- now!" Will said. Jack slumped down.

Barbossa bowed. "Agreed. Leave we shall..." Barbossa lifted his head and smiled. "...but the Heartless stay!"

There was a loud, maniacal chuckle. Pete hopped into the boat and knocked Will out. He picked him up and ran over next to Barbossa. Air Pirates floated on the sides of the ship.

"No fair!" Sora said.

The pirate crew grabbed us. They tied us up and threw us into the lower deck.

"Good work, Barbossa!" Pete said. "Who knew it'd be this easy?"

"Barbossa, you coward!" Elizabeth said.

"That's the last time I trust a pirate!" Sora said.

"Says the boy who wanted to become one." I said.

"Captain, we've searched the entire ship! We can't find the medallion!" a crew member called.

Barbossa growled. "They must've hid it back on Isla de Muerta! We sail there!"

"The powder kegs are ready, Captain!"

"Then I bid ye farewell!"

The door closed.

"What are we gonna do?!" Donald cried.

"We'll be blown to smithereens!" Goofy said.

"Why struggle, mate?" Jack said. "A pirate knows when to surrender."

"Are you serious, Jack?" Sora said.

"Your average pirate, anyway."

The ropes around Jack fell off and he stood, holding a knife. He sheathed it away.

"First, we've got to see to the gunpowder." Jack said. "I'm not about to lose this ship!"

"I still don't plan to trust pirates again." Sora said.

"Wise policy, lad."

Jack cut us free and we climbed up to the deck. There were five powder kegs set around the ship, and Air Pirates and Cannon Guns were preparing to light them. One by one, we launched the powder kegs into the ocean while fighting off the Heartless.

"All clear!" Sora said.

Jack ran over to the steering wheel.

"That's the second time I've had to watch that man sail away with my ship." he said. "But I'll be havin' her back soon enough."

* * *

><p>We docked at the Isla de Muerta. As we left the ship, everyone turned to Elizabeth.<p>

"You stay with the ship, lass!" Jack said.

"I'll do no such thing! Will could die in there." Elizabeth protested.

"Dear William is fine. Trust me."

"I am not a fool, Jack."

"Then trust me instead!" Sora said.

Elizabeth turned to us. "Sora, Hallie, Donald, Goofy- bring Will back safely!"

"You can count on us!" I said, giving her a little salute.

* * *

><p>"Where is that blasted medallion, Turner?!" Barbossa said. He held a knife up to his neck.<p>

"I have no idea." Will said, crossing his arms.

Barbossa growled.

"Ahoy, mateys!" Sora called as we ran in.

"Not possible!" Barbossa said.

"Not probable! We're alive and we're pirates!" Donald said.

"Captain Jack Sparrow."

"Sora!"

"Donald!"

"Goofy!"

"And Hallie!" We stepped forward with our weapons as we said our name. "And... I believe you are looking for this!"

I reached up to my neck and snapped the medallion off. Everyone looked at me and the dangling medallion in shock.

"Hallie, YOU have the medallion?!" Sora said.

"Yeah, and it sure fooled this poor excuse of a pirate crew!" I said.

"So you want to play pirate? Best save the playacting for the nursery." Barbossa said. "After them! Get the girl and bring me the medallion!"

I gripped Chaos Ripper. One pirate lunged at me with his sword while another staggered towards me and swung the 50-pound anchor in his hands. I jumped up in the air and the first pirate plunged his sword into the other pirates stomach. He groaned and dissolved into rotted gauze. I came down and landed on the man's sword. I back-flipped, driving my foot into the pirate's chin. His head snapped back with a sickening crack and he staggered away. My hands crackled with electricity.

"Thunder!" I cried, raising my Keyblade to the air.

There was a BOOM! and bolts of thunder rained down and electrocuted half of the undead pirate crew. The other half charged towards me.

"Sora!" I threw the medallion over to him. He looked over and caught it with his free hand before slashing at an electrocuted pirate. The crew surged towards him.

"Goofy!" he cried, chucking the medallion to him. We played a game of "Monkey in the Middle" with the medallion, luring the frustrated pirates around the room while the others finished them off. When the last pirate disintegrated into dust, Will ran to us.

"Thank you, Sora and Hallie." he said.

"Uh, where's Jack?" Goofy said.

We heard the chinking sound of swords clashing together. Barbossa and Jack clashed together in a sword fight.

"Jack! Get him!" Sora called.

Jack glanced over at us, which was a fatal mistake. Barbossa lunged and plunged his sword into Jack's stomach.

"Jack!" I gasped.

"You're a fool, Jack Sparrow!" Barbossa said.

Jack stumbled back into the light. His skin faded away, his clothes became more moldy and loose on his body. He had turned into one of the undead. He looked at his bony hands. He reached up with one hand and rolled the medallion between his skeletal fingers. I glanced at my friends, who smiled knowingly and shot me three pairs of thumbs up.

Barbossa clenched his fists. "Show yourself, Pete! The tide has changed."

Pete stood at the opposite end of the room. He placed his fists on his hips. "See? I told ya you'd be needin' ol' Pete!" he said.

Pete raised two fingers to his mouth and a sharp whistle escaped his lips. Suction cups slurped around the room, like a group of people scrambled across the stony walls with plungers attached to their feet. An Illuminator appeared in the light. It looked at us and its yellow eyes flashed. It leaped off the walls and crawled next to Barbossa. Its eyes flashed again and the room went dark. Barbossa jumped into the shadows.

"Get that Heartless!" Donald cried.

We found the Illuminator through its glowing yellow eyes. We attacked it and it scrambled away. Light returned to the room.

"Enjoy a piece of this!" Barbossa cried.

He slashed his sword at me, but I jumped in the air and landed on the blade. I saw Barbossa reach down and grab his gun. The scene turned into slow motion as he pulled it out and pointed it at me. I shoved his arm to the side as he pulled the trigger and the bullet hit the ground. I took the butt of my Keyblade and slammed it into his chin. Barbossa staggered back. Jack stood in front of Barbossa, and as he jumped to lunge at him, Sora jumped forward. Jack grabbed his hand, spun him around, and Sora slammed into Barbossa, causing him to fly up into the air. Sora jumped onto Jack's back and jumped into the air. He slammed his Keyblade into Barbossa's chest. Barbossa fell to the ground. We turned to Pete. He began to back away.

"This ain't over!" he cried. He turned around and ran away.

"Right! Care to surrender, Barbossa?" Jack said as Barbossa was standing up. He drew his sword. "Well, enough of this, then..."

Jack threw his sword to the ground and pulled out his gun.

"What say you we call it- a draw?"

"Jack, how many times do I have to tell ya-"

Jack threw the medallion and shot at Barbossa. Barbossa cackled.

"Laugh while you can, Barbossa!" Will cried.

He stood over the treasure chest, a knife in one hand and the medallions hovering over the treasure chest in the other. He opened his hand and the medallion fell into the chest, damp and half red with his blood. As realization caught up with him, Barbossa doubled over and clenched his chest.

"I feel... cold." Barbossa said.

Barbossa fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>We walked along the path back to the ship.<p>

"What now, Jack?" Will said.

"Whatever I want, now that the Pearl is mine again." Jack said.

He looked at the ship and smiled.

"That she is." Will said. "Thank you, Jack."

Will held out his hand and Jack cowered back. Will looked at him confused and Jack slowly straightened.

"I didn't want ye hittin' me again, mate." Jack said.

"Hey, Jack- good luck." Sora said.

"And remember to be good!"

"Don't do anything to get your ship taken away again." I said.

"I'm off." Jack said.

Jack turned around to see Elizabeth running towards us.

"Will!" she cried with her arms wide open.

Jack opened his arms, but Elizabeth ran past him and hugged Will. Jack scowled and walked away. Sora put his hands behind his head.

"Good for them." he said.

"Uh-huh!" Goofy said. He looked at Sora. "Hey, Sora- How come your face is all red?"

"What? It is not red!" Sora said, covering his cheek with his hand.

"Aw, I know who you're thinking about." Donald said.

"Sora, are you telling me that you have a crush on someone?" I said.

"No!" Sora said.

Donald, Goofy, and I laughed while Sora covered his face in embarrassment. Suddenly, Jack stopped and cried out. His compass shimmered. He opened it, and while he examined, it lifted from his hand and floated up into the air. Sora and I looked at each other and nodded. We traveled to the heart of the world and sealed the keyhole.

"You know... for a minute there... I was afraid we were gonna lose Donald to the curse of the treasure!" Sora said, putting a hand on his hip.

"Yup! Me, too." Goofy said.

"What?!" Donald squawked.

"Really? Because when those pirates came charging at us, I recall a certain someone quaking in his shoes so badly, he was one "arg" away from running away and screaming like a little girl!" I said.

"Me?!" Sora said. "I-I did NOT do that!"

I giggled. "Don't worry, Sora. It'll be our little secret!" Sora blushed and I doubled over in laughter.


	14. Be On Your Best Behavior

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

"Agrabah! We made it!" Donald said as we stepped into the bazaar.

"Gawrsh, I wonder how Aladdin 'n' Jasmine are doin'?" Goofy said.

"Friends of yours?" I said.

"Yeah, we helped Aladdin fight against Jafar, this evil sorcerer. Jasmine was one of the Seven Princesses of Heart that Maleficent and Ansem sought to use to unlock Kingdom Hearts." Sora said. "He turned into a genie and we trapped him inside a lamp."

I exhaled a lungful of frustrated air out my nostrils. _Again with this Kingdom Hearts... Whoever this "__Maleficent" is doesn't deserve its wisdom..._

I stopped myself.

_Whoa, where did THAT come from? And this Ansem... the name sounds familiar. But from where?  
><em>

"Hey, maybe Riku's with them!" Sora said, interrupting my thoughts.

"Yeah, and the King!" Goofy said.

"Keep dreaming, you two." Donald said.

"Come on, Donald, you were thinking the same thing!" Sora said.

"No, I wasn't!"

As we walked, in my peripheral view, I saw Goofy fall behind.

"Uh-uh, it's uh... um..." I heard him say. "It's Iago!"

Sora and Donald whipped around with their weapons.

"A bad guy?" I said, turning around. I raised my eyebrow when I saw a chubby parrot fly towards us. "A bad... bird?"

"Wait! You got me all wrong." Iago said.

"A bad, talking bird?" I said.

"You're Iago all right!" Donald said.

"No! I mean, it's not the old me. I turned over a new feather." Iago said. "I'm legit! No more scams. Promise!"

"Bet that's your new scam." Sora said, crossing his arms.

"Ya gotta believe me!"

"What, was he the boss of a smuggling gang business?" I said, crossing my arms. "What's so bad about a fat bird?"

"HEY!"

"That fat bird was Jafar's sidekick." Sora said.

"Ah..." I nodded.

"Again, HEY!" Iago cried, flapping his wings furiously. "Listen, I was stuck inside that lamp with Jafar. Remember? Well, I finally escaped. But then some things happened and..."

"So. Free as a bird, huh?" Sora said.

"Wow. Bad choice of words." I shook my head.

"Gawrsh, guys. He looks pretty sad." Goofy said.

Iago turned around and flew into Goofy's paws.

"I wanna apologize to Aladdin and Jasmine." Iago said. "Could you guys maybe put in a good word for me?"

"Sure, we can do that, can't we?" Goofy said. He looked to Sora and Donald, who sent him a glare.

"Watch out!" Iago cried.

We were suddenly surrounded by Luna Bandits. No matter how much we fought, we were constantly surrounded.

"Ugh, where are they all coming from?!" Sora said.

Some Luna Bandits ran towards Iago. Iago screamed and flew up. Two Luna Bandits bumped into each other. Iago crashed into a vase and a crate. They tipped over and fell on some Bandits.

"This way!" Sora said.

We ran into an empty building with a screaming Iago following behind.

* * *

><p>"Aw, we'd've been goners if Iago hadn't helped us." Goofy said. "Ain't that right, fellas?"<p>

"You know, maybe Iago really has changed." I said.

"Are you _hearing_ yourself?" Sora said. "But... I guess we owe you one, Iago."

"Perfect!" Iago said.

"But you'll have to win over Aladdin and Jasmine yourself. Be on your best behavior, got it?"

"Yeah, I got it."

"Where IS Aladdin, anyway?" Goofy said.

"I betcha he's at the palace."

"Then let's go!" Sora said.

* * *

><p>We walked up to the palace courtyard, where there was a woman with light brown skin, long black hair tied back in a fancy low ponytail, and brown eyes.<p>

"Jasmine!" Sora said.

Jasmine turned and saw us. She smiled.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Jasmine said.

"Your Majesty!" Donald said.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy bowed gracefully. Jasmine giggled.

"Such gentlemen." I said, rolling my eyes. "I'm Hallie."

"Nice to meet you. I never had the chance to thank you for before, Sora." she said. "You helped Aladdin defeat that awful Jafar and saved Agrabah."

"All in a day's work." Sora said, putting his hands behind his head. "But, uh... it looks like the Heartless are up to no good again. Is there anyway we can help you out?"

"I think we're all right for now."

"And ya always got Aladdin." Goofy said.

"He... hasn't been himself lately." Jasmine said.

"Is it because of the Heartless?" Donald said, whipping out his magic staff.

"I'm not sure. Usually, he's the same cheerful Aladdin. But sometimes... he just seems sad." Jasmine said. "He leaves the palace and goes off by himself all the time. I've asked him about it, but he says that nothing's wrong. He's gone again today. What if he doesn't come back this time?"

"Hey! Maybe he's got a secret girlfriend!" Iago cried, popping out from behind Goofy's back. "I know! I'll go find out who she is!"

Jasmine gasped and tried to grab Iago. "Iago! Quick, Sora! Catch him! And I'll warn the guards and everyone in the palace!"

Iago flew behind Sora. "That's the thing... Iago's not-!" he called, but Jasmine disappeared behind the palace doors.

Sora sighed and glared at Iago. "Nice move."

"Maybe it's something you said." Goofy said.

"Well, not only did he help Jafar kidnap Jasmine before, he just accused her boyfriend of cheating on her." I said, crossing my arms. "Not the best way to prove you've turned over a new leaf."

Iago sighed.

"Gee, maybe we should go talk to Aladdin." Goofy said. "He's gotta be somewhere in town, right?"

"Good idea. I wonder what he's been doing." Sora said.

* * *

><p>As we left the palace grounds back into the bazaar, we saw a small monkey dressed in a vest and fez hat scurry by.<p>

"Stop, thief!" a voice cried.

A young man dressed in white parachute-like pants, a purple vest, and a hat ran by.

"Hi, Sora!" he said as he ran after the monkey.

"Come back here!" a short merchant in robes ran after the man and monkey.

"Found him." Donald said.

We ran after the merchant and young man, where they cornered the monkey.

"If you can't control that fur ball..." the merchant said. "...put a leash on him!"

"Look, I'm sorry..." Aladdin said. He crouched down to the monkey and wagged a scolding finger at him. "You should be ashamed of yourself, Abu."

Aladdin held out his hand and Abu gave him what he had: a black genie lamp.

"Uh, no hard feelings?" Aladdin said, handing the lamp to the merchant.

The merchant snatched it away and walked off.

"Abu!" Aladdin said.

Abu looked over his shoulder and saw us. He chattered and ran over to us.

"Hey, guys. Sorry about earlier." Aladdin said as he approached us. "I was kind of in a hurry."

"What happened?" Sora said.

"You know Abu. He couldn't keep his paws off that lamp." Abu screeched and jumped around. "No talking your way out of this one!"

Sora and Aladdin laughed as Abu jumped around.

"You don't look so upset to me." I said, holding my hands behind my back.

Aladdin looked at me.

"Oh, right. This is Hallie." Sora said. "I guess you can't be THAT down in the dumps, huh?"

"Who said I was?" Aladdin said.

"Princess Jasmine." Goofy said. "She's worried 'cause you're always in town."

"No way!" Aladdin said. "Still... I guess there's no foolin' Jasmine, huh? See, Genie and Carpet took off to see the world. It's what Genie always wanted, so I wished him the best and all, but..."

"You miss him." Goofy said.

"Man, things must be REALLY quiet with Genie gone." Sora said, placing his hands behind his head.

"Yeah. That's why I come here. The action- the people. There's always something goin' on." Aladdin said. "I mean, c'mon! I met you guys here today, right? This place is full of surprises."

Goofy turned around.

"Uh, Sora?" he said.

We turned around and saw Iago on the ground, trembling.

"Iago?!" Aladdin said.

"Oh, right..." Sora said. "He wants to apologize for all the trouble he caused."

"Oh, he does?" Aladdin said skeptically.

"Gawrsh, he's so sorry, he's shakin'!" Goofy said.

We watched Iago, but he was silent.

"Um... Iago?" I called.

"Th-th-that lamp!" Iago cried, pointing in the direction the merchant went.

"What about it?" Aladdin said.

Iago flew into Aladdin's face. "It was THE lamp!"

"You mean the one that you guys used to trap Jafar inside?" I said.

"YES!"

"C'mon. There're like a million of them." Aladdin said.

"Hey! I was locked up in that thing FOR MONTHS! There's no way I'd mistake that!"

Abu jumped around in angry protest.

"Then we'd better go back and talk to that peddler." Aladdin said.

"Right behind you." Sora said.

* * *

><p>We found the peddler inside the room where we hid from the Luna Bandits.<p>

"Is there any way that we can buy that lamp from you?" Sora said.

"Of course, that is... IF you can afford it." the peddler said.

Sora turned to the door. Aladdin gestured to him to continue.

"No worries!" Sora said.

"Yeah, we can pay you in royal treasu-" Donald said.

With my hands behind my back, I shot a small thunderbolt at Donald's behind. He yelped and rubbed his feathered rear. He grumbled and glared at me.

"Might I be able to interest you in another fine lamp?" the peddler said.

"No, that's the one we need." Sora said.

"What he means is that we'd like to buy that particular one." I said.

"Ah, well- perhaps I can be persuaded..." the peddler said. "...IF you bring me a treasure beyond even my imagination. Something, say, fit for a sultan..."

Sora, Donald, and Goofy gulped.

"Like we said, no worries!" I said. "We'll find something that suits your tastes."

"Hallie, what are you doing?" Sora said.

"Don't worry, we'll figure something out."

We left the shop.

"Treasure? That could be tricky..." Aladdin said.

"There's lots at the palace." Donald said.

"But it's not mine to take. And I can't ask. I don't want to worry Jasmine or the Sultan."

"Hey, I know..." Iago said, flying up in Aladdin's face. "What about the treasure in the Cave of Wonders?"

Sora and Donald crossed their arms and scowled at Iago.

"All right, Iago. You lead the way!" Aladdin said. "And after we get the treasure, I might even believe your apology."

"You can count on me!" Iago said.

* * *

><p>Outside of Agrabah, in the oasis, we scanned the horizon of the desert before us.<p>

"The Cave of Wonders is right over there!" Iago said.

Among the yellow sand, there was a cloud of black and purple swirling clouds.

"You mean that swirling area of darkness and death?" I said.

"Yeah! I mean, uh, yes, but it's not as bad as it looks!" Iago said.

"It's a dangerous place, but we should be all right if we go together." Aladdin said.

"Okay, then! Let's get going!"


	15. Another Chance

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

I didn't expect the Cave of Wonders to be a giant sand tiger.

"We're supposed to go IN this thing?" I said.

"Yup." Aladdin said.

Everyone took their turn entering the tiger's sandy mouth. We walked down its stair esophagus and to its purple stomach. There were blocks of different heights laid across the path. At the end were two strange idol statues placed on both sides of a dark path leading down deeper into the Cave. We fought against Shadows, Fortunetellers, and one very obnoxious Fat Bandit. At the end of the cave was a small narrow hallway with reverse waterfalls as walls. When we walked in, there was a pink crystal floating above us. We passed by it and walked up to the golden monkey statue at the end of the room. Below it was an empty pedestal.

We walked back to the crystal. As we examined it, Abu leaped from Aladdin's shoulder and snatched the crystal. The waterfall walls disappeared. The ground rumbled and giant statues lined the walls. Ice shards formed and fell from the sky. Abu screeched and ran around the room.

"We've got to get that crystal over to the pedestal." Aladdin said.

We led Abu through the pathway, instructing him when to go and when to jump over the waves that came at us. Abu placed the crystal into the pedestal. The ground rumbled. The walls were covered in a layer of light, and the statues went back to being normal and not threatening. The monkey statue at the end of the room disappeared, revealing a door. We climbed down a long flight of downward stairs to a platform. On the platform was a sign.

"Complete your task within the time allotted." Sora read. "There's a switch here."

"Let's see what it does." I said.

"Wait, Hallie-!"

I flipped the switch. The platform rumbled and when I looked down, we stood momentarily in midair. We screamed as we fell through the air.

"You have two minutes. If all the floors disappear, you will have to start over. Let it begin." a voice said.

A platform came into our view. We landed and Ice Cubes appeared around us. We attacked them and the platform disappeared again. We landed on the next platform, and some Ice Cubes and Fiery Globes appeared. The third platform had a Fat Bandit. It inhaled and shot a fireball at me. I raised Chaos Ripper and the fireball deflected back and hit the Fat Bandit. The fourth platform had another Fat Bandit and some Fiery Globes. The final platform had two Fortunetellers. When we finished, a staircase appeared connecting the platform to a door. We climbed up the stairs and there was another sign.

"Victor of the trial... You possess great strength!" Sora read.

"There's not another switch, is there?" Donald grumbled.

The door opened.

"Judging by the look of things, I'd say we're almost there." Iago said. "I just hope we can get what we want without any trouble."

"Because heaven forbid we run into any trouble while we're down here." I said.

We walked through the door and we stared in awe at the giant heaps of gold piled around the room. Golden monkeys lined the walls, holding pot that trickled gold onto the ground. We walked down the path and saw a giant, beautiful object made of gold and jewels that shimmered.

"There. That one should do it." Aladdin said.

Donald ran up the stairs to the object.

"Oh boy, it's perfect. That guy's gonna like this." Donald said.

"Sure looks valuable." Sora said.

"I feel like I have to pay just to look at it." I said.

"Great! Now let's go get that lamp." Aladdin said. "We gotta keep Jafar bottled up, or he's gonna destroy Agrabah!"

Abu and Iago tried to carry a golden monkey statue that held a ruby egg-shaped jewel. Donald tapped his foot impatiently.

"Stop!" he cried. Abu and Iago let go of the statue and it fell to the ground.

Donald leaned over and stared at the jewel.

"Hey, snap out of it, Donald!" Aladdin said.

Suddenly, the walls went dark. Silver Rocks and Yellow Operas appeared around us.

"Why does this always happen?" Donald complained.

I summoned Chaos Ripper. The Silver Rocks turned into balls of light. I grabbed one with my Keyblade and hurled it at another one. They dissolved away and were replaced by Ice Cubes and Fiery Globes, and three Fat Bandits after those. After the Heartless were all defeated, the room filled with light again.

"Let's go!" Sora said.

* * *

><p>Returning to Agrabah, we went to the room where the peddler should be, but it was empty.<p>

"Hello?" Aladdin called.

"Stop your whining and hand it over!" a muffled voice said.

"Ohh no! I'm trading it for treasure. This lamp is going to bring me riches!" the peddler's voice said, muffled as well.

We left the building and turned to see the peddler running by with Jafar's lamp, with Pete trailing behind. We followed them to the palace courtyard. Pete ran up behind the peddler and grabbed the lamp.

"Thank you." Pete said, running past him.

The peddler ran up next to him. "It's mine!" He snatched the lamp away again.

We watched the peddler and Pete chase each other around the courtyard.

"Lamp hog!" Pete said.

"Go away!" the peddler called.

"Gotcha!"

Pete grabbed the lamp and planted his hand on the peddler's head to keep him away.

"No fair!" the peddler said.

"Heh heh, I win!" Pete said.

Iago flew over and grabbed the lamp.

"Nice one, Iago!" Sora said.

"Way to go!" Aladdin said.

"Don't drop it!" Donald said.

"Look! Behind you!" Goofy said.

Iago turned a corner at the wall and the peddler and Pete crashed into it. Iago looked behind him and accidentally crashed into the wall. The lamp fell out of his hands and onto the ground. Pete picked it up.

Pete chuckled. "Nice try, bird brain! Just wait till Jafar's free! He's gonna make one beauty of a Heartless."

We ran forward a few steps, but stopped when the ground began to rumble. There was a twinkle in the sky and a large blue Genie flew down and around in the sky. He had a black goatee, beady eyes, and golden cuffs on his wrists.

"I'm HOME!" he cried. "Al! It's been eons!"

Genie flew over and wrapped Pete into a hug.

"Al, you princely little muffin, you! Cosmic travel can get so lonely without a friend. To think I let you forlorn and Genie-less... Oh, the HUMANITY!"

"Genie-?" Aladdin said, but Genie didn't notice him.

"Hey, Al, you've been puttin' on weight? Aw, of course, what am I saying? You're living at the palace now. I can just picture it... Wait, tell me. Am I being a pest? Just a big blue pest? Aw, who cares, Al! I'm just so glad to SEE you!"

As Genie spoke, he was inadvertently beating up Pete, making strange gestures including heart shaped fireworks and enlarging his head when he cried, and popping up in different spots of the courtyard. He finished by taking Pete's hands and shaking him.

"Genie!" Aladdin said.

Genie looked between Aladdin and Pete.

"Oops." he said, letting Pete go. He fell to the ground.

"I'll teach you to make a fool out of me!" Pete said, shaking his fist.

"Al!" Genie laughed, picking up Aladdin and hugging him.

"This is the weirdest reunion I've ever seen." I said.

Pete stood up and grunted.

"Time for Plan B! I'm finishin' you mugs off right now!" he cried.

He raised his fist up into the air and slammed it into the ground. A cart in the corner exploded as a geyser of water shot into the air. Once the geyser dissipated, a Blizzard Lord stood there. The bushes in the courtyard spontaneously combusted and from the flames emerged a Volcanic Lord. I summoned Chaos Ripper and Sora summoned Kingdom Key. The Volcanic Lord flopped onto its stomach and bounced over to Sora, leaving flaming areas where his stomach touched the ground. Sora lifted his Keyblade above him so the Volcanic Lord landed on it. He spun around and released the Heartless in my direction. I jumped into the air and brought my Keyblade down, slashing through the Volcanic Lord and forcing it into the wall.

"Blizzard!" I cried.

I pointed my Keyblade at the Volcanic Lord and shards of ice shot out from the tip and pierced into the Heartless. The Volcanic Lord shriveled up and exploded.

"One down, one to go." Sora said.

The Blizzard Lord came right up to me and inhaled, ready to unleash his frozen breath on me. I jumped up and covered his mouth right before he exhaled. Its body began to expand, and when it was big enough, I let go and jumped away next to Sora and Donald as it flew back into the wall.

"Fire!" the three of us cried.

Balls of fire ignited from our Keyblades and staff and slammed into the Blizzard Lord. It began to writhe around in the air. It shimmered and a giant heart emerged from its body and floated up into the air. The Blizzard Lord disappeared with a flash of light.

"You! You've messed with me for the last time!" Pete cried. He turned around and ran away. "I'm gonna get you yet!"

"After all the running away that he does, I'm surprised he's that big." I said. Sora, Donald, and Goofy chuckled.

Genie laughed and picked Aladdin up in the air. A flying carpet flew around us with Abu riding on top. Iago followed them with Jafar's lamp.

* * *

><p>Deep in the palace's dungeon, we placed Jafar's lamp in a stone coffin. Sora and Aladdin pushed a heavy stone slab over the coffin, closing it off.<p>

* * *

><p>"I promise- you won't regret givin' me another chance. Honest!" Iago said to Princess Jasmine after we came back to the palace courtyard.<p>

"Uhhhh... Princess Jasmine, you sure you want that pigeon in the coop?" Genie said.

"Oh, I think Iago's shown that he means well." Jasmine said.

"Aw, sure. You're probably right."

"And how much trouble can one noisy bird cause?" Sora said.

"You just might have a point there, kid."

"What happens next, Sora?" Jasmine said.

"Well, it was great seeing you all... but we still need to find Riku and the King." Sora said. "I guess we'll be moving on."

"I hope you find 'em." Genie said.

"Me, too."

Donald looked around. "Hey, where's Aladdin?"

"He ran off toward town, looking for Abu." Jasmine said. "But he should be back by now."

"Al can't miss Sora's big farewell party!" Genie said. "I'll have him back in a jiffy!"

Genie disappeared in a twister of pink, shimmery magic.

"ABU!" a voice cried.

We turned to see Abu running up the courtyard pathway with a ruby egg-shaped gem. Aladdin was running after him.

"Catch him!" he cried.

Abu stopped as Sora, Donald, and Goofy jumped forward and landed on him in one big dork pile. Abu screeched.

I sighed and crossed my arms. "I will never understand boys." Jasmine giggled beside me.

"He must've secretly stolen it from the Cave of Wonders." Aladdin said, gesturing to the gem.

"Abu!" Donald cried, snatching the gem away from him. He gazed at the gem in his hands with strange expressions on his face.

"I guess some things are just hard to resist." Goofy said.

Donald shook his head violently. "Aw, who needs it!" Donald chucked the gem, but when we looked, it was no where. Abu screeched and jumped around and pointed at the gem, which Donald was holding behind his back.

"Oh... I guess it got stuck!" Donald said, laughing nervously.

Suddenly, the gem shimmered. We all squawked in surprise. Sora and I looked at each other and we summoned our Keyblades. We traveled to the heart of the world and sealed the keyhole.

"Sora... What is it?" Aladdin said.

"I think it's time for us to go."

Jasmine stepped beside Aladdin and held his arm.

"Will you be back?" she said.

"We will. I promise." Sora said.

Aladdin gave Sora a thumbs up. He smiled and looked up to the sky.


	16. Split Down the Middle

**CHAPTER SIXTEEN**

As soon as we entered this world, I knew things were going to be weird. I looked at Sora, Donald, and Goofy, who dressed as fictional horror creatures: Sora as a vampire, Donald as a mummy, and Goofy as a Frankenstein. I looked down at my clothes. I was split down the middle, my right side in all white clothing and my left side in all black clothing. I wore a one-sleeve shirt that wrapped around my body like gauze. My right arm had a bell bottom sleeve and my left arm had no sleeve at all. When it came to my pants, my right leg wore white lace shorts and my leg wore black tattered capri pants that came down to my knee. My right foot had a white ballet slipper with ribbon curling up to and tied around my shin and my left foot had a studded black combat boot.

"Whoa, Hallie." Sora said. "Since when did you have two different colored eyes?"

"Huh?" I said.

I walked over to a puddle nearby and leaned over it. My eyes and hair sported a "split down the middle" style as well: my right eye was its normal color, amber, but my left eye's color was blood red. The right side of my hair was my regular brown color, but the left side of my hair was blond. Behind me were a pair of wings attached to my back. My right wing was white and strong with luscious and beautiful feathers, but my left one was black and shriveled up with rotting black feathers that I didn't want to touch for fear of them crumpling in my hands. I concluded that I was a half-light, half-dark angel.

_But what's with my hair and eyes?_

I stood up and turned to the three boys.

"That's new." I said.

We walked up to a scarecrow that hung next to some tombs. Above it was a sign that read "Halloween Town".

"That explains the clothing." Sora said, resting his chin on the back of his hand.

"Well, it sure does look like Hallowee... Wha?" Donald said.

We looked towards the town. Orange lights blinked against the stone walls. Suddenly, a ghost-dog with a handkerchief-like body, long ears, and a glowing pumpkin nose flew around us.

"Hey, it's Zero!" Sora said. "How've you been, boy?"

Zero flew into town.

* * *

><p>When we entered town, we scanned the plaza, but there was no one around. In the center of the plaza was a wooden ramp.<p>

"What's that for?" Sora said.

The sound of tingling bells filled the air.

"It's Jack!" Donald cried.

We looked up in the air to see a sleigh made of a giant metal trashcan and a green coffin being pulled by three skeletal reindeer. In the sleigh was a very tall skeleton wearing a black suit with white stripes and a coat-tail. The sleigh rumbled down the ramp and came to a stop. Jack stood up and waved to us.

"Sora, Donald, and Goofy!" he said. "Welcome back, and Merry Christmas!"

"Merry Christmas?" Sora said. "Don't you mean "Happy Halloween"?"

"Of course. Halloween greetings from Jack Skellington, the Pumpkin King." Jack made a scary face at us. "Forgive me. I'm in a Christmas mood. You see, I'm running the show again this year- but I need Sandy Claws' blessing, so I'm off to Christmas Town."

The four of us huddle together in a circle.

"Sandy Claws?" Sora said.

"I think he means Santa Claus." Goofy said.

Jack jumped onto the edge of the fountain.

"Aren't these decorations wonderful?" he said. "This year Halloween Town's going to handle Christmas too!"

"I don't think "Sandy Claws" is going to appreciate you doing his job without his permission." I said, crossing my arms.

"That's why I'm going to Christmas Town to get his permission! But first! We need to visit Sally. She's working on something no self-respecting Santa Claus can do without. Come along- I'll show you!"

Jack turned around and headed for a laboratory.

"That skeleton is just a few seeds short of a pumpkin..." I said.

"A Halloween Town Christmas..." Sora said.

We looked at each other, then at the decorations. The guillotine's blade shined, a wooden duck bore its razor-sharp teeth, and the skeleton reindeer stared at us with their empty eye sockets and laughed. Donald and Goofy shivered in fear.

"This I've gotta see!" I said.

"Let's go check it out!" Sora said.

Donald and Goofy sighed.

"Come on, hurry!" Jack called.

* * *

><p>Inside the laboratory, there was a small man in a wheelchair studying a book bigger than a Large Body and three children standing and talking around a piece of a robot. A large bookshelf rested against the wall filled with books and reached all the way to the ceiling. A strange machine laid on a metal table.<p>

The man opened the top hatch of his head and scratched his brain. I tried my best not to vomit.

"Hello, doctor! Where's Sally?" Jack said.

"Can't you see that I'm in the middle of an experiment?" the doctor said, closing his head.

The doctor turned his wheelchair and rolled over to the metal table. The three children walked over, carrying the other piece. A ragdoll woman with long, yarn red hair entered the room. She wore concerned look on her face and she brought her hands together in front of her chest.

"Hey, this is way too heavy!" one boy dressed like a devil said.

"Then let's toss it!" a girl dressed like a witch said.

"You do and you'll be sorry! Now bring it over here." the doctor said.

"Heave-ho!"

The three children threw the robot piece into the air. It landed on the table and began sparking. We cried out as the piece exploded. The ragdoll woman sighed. The three children laughed, momentarily taking off their masks.

"Imbeciles!" the doctor cried, slamming his hands on the table. "Now my experiment is ruined!"

The children ran past the woman and out of the laboratory. Jack approached her.

"Sally! Did you finish it?" he said. "I want to show my good friends."

"I'm sorry, Jack. I... I need a little bit more time." Sally said, bowing her head.

"Oh." Jack put his hands on his hips for a moment, then place a bony hand on Sally's shoulder. "Well, that's all right. Just as long as it's ready for Christmas!"

"But... Jack..." Jack patted Sally's shoulder and walked past her.

"I'd best be off. I've got to go get Sandy Claws, right away!" Jack said. "Wonderful to see you again. Good-bye for now!"

Jack waved and left.

"Go get Santa Claus...?" Sora said. He rest his hand on the back of his chin and looked at the ground thoughtfully.

"Please, Sora. I'm afraid something terrible will happen if Jack does through with this." Sally said.

"You can say that again!" Donald said.

"Sora?" Goofy said.

Sora looked at the ceiling with a dreamy smile. I waved my hand in front of his face, but he didn't respond until Jack entered the room again.

"Are those strange-looking fellows in the town square with you?" he asked.

"Strange-looking fellows?" I said.

"You know, the ones who wanted to spoil Halloween AND Christmas?" Jack said. "What are they called again... Heartless?"

"They're definitely not with us. But Hallie, Donald, Goofy, and I can get rid of them for you." Sora said. "And then we can go see Santa!"

Donald tapped his foot and I loudly cleared my throat. Sora looked at us.

"But first, the Heartless!" he said quickly.

"Right." I said.

We turned to leave the laboratory.

"Hallie?" I heard Sally say. I turned to her. She sat in a chair a sewed together an outfit of red and white. Her eyes focused solely on the fabric, like it captured every drop of her attention.

"Yes?" I said.

"First Jack wants to become Sandy Claws... and now the Heartless are appearing. I have a bad feeling about all of this. I just hope nothing terrible happens..." Sally said. Her nimble fingers pulled the needle and thread through the fabric. She stopped and looked up at me. "Will you watch over Jack for me? Please?"

"Of course." I said. "I get that you want to make sure Jack doesn't get hurt. Don't worry, you've got Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I with him in this. But most importantly, he's got you."

Sally gave me a small smile.

"Hallie!" I heard Sora call.

"Gotta go. You can count on me!" I said.

* * *

><p>We ran out of the laboratory to the Town Plaza, where Wight Knight Heartless stood around the fountain in a wide circle. Zero flew around them and a very short man with two faces and a tall, narrow black top hat was holding a megaphone.<p>

"Now hear this, you... you things! Leave Halloween Town at once... by order of the mayor!" the man said through his pale, depressed face. "Jack? Where are you? I'm only an elected official- I can't handle this by myself!"

Jack approached the mayor.

"Jack!" the mayor cried.

"We're on it!" Sora said summoning his Keyblade.

We charged. As I struck down a Wight Knight Heartless, another one jumped behind me and sliced my back with its claws. I gasped and grit my teeth. I whirled around and slashed at the Wight Knight, destroying it. Shadows emerged from the ground and surrounded me. One rammed into my back and sunk its claws into my skin. I screamed and suddenly the Shadow burst into flames. It withered away into dark dust. I collapsed to the ground.

"Hallie!" I heard a voice call.

There was a flash of light. Magic blue shards shot through the air and pierced through the Shadows, destroying them all one by one. I looked up to see Sora gliding along the ground. Blue shimmering sparks followed his trail and from his clothes. Where his pumpkin mask should be was now a mask of a black mage. He glided over to me.

"Are you okay?" he said.

"Well, I'm on the ground. And I'm groaning in pain." I said. "What do you think?"

Sora raised his Keyblade above me and a green shower of Cure rained down on me. I shuddered in relief as I felt my wounds close and heal. My strength came back to me in a rush. Sora helped me up by taking one of my hands and placing his other on the small of my back for balance.

"Thank you." I said.

"You're welcome." Sora said.

I heard a locking sound and realized he was still holding me. The heat of his hand resting against my back matched the heat that swelled in my cheeks. I stepped away and cleared my throat.

"How is Sandy Claws supposed to relax with all this going on?" Jack said. "That's it, fellows! Sandy Claws needs bodyguards. Are you up to the task?"

"Us-?" Donald said.

"Yeah!" Sora cried.

Donald turned to Sora and tapped his foot with his hands placed on his hips.

* * *

><p>Jack lead us out of the town past the Graveyard into the Hinterlands. There were a few trees with strange drawings carved into them. One had a heart carved into it and another one had an Easter egg, but Jack led us to the tree decorated with a Christmas tree.<p>

"Here it is! The door to Christmas Town." Jack said. He began pacing. "The spooks of Halloween can get so tiresome year after year. I wanted something new. And I found this!"

We glanced at Sora as he leaned closer and examined the door.

"Beyond this door is a world filled with wonders..." Jack said. "the likes of which you've never seen! At first I couldn't believe my eyes. Everything was so fresh and exciting!"

"Come on! Just open it!" Sora cried.

Jack opened the door. Sora didn't hesitate as he ran forward and jumped through the door. Donald and Goofy ran over and looked over the edge.

"Out of my way!" I cried.

I shoved past Donald and Goofy and dove through the door. Donald and Goofy looked at each other then jumped in after us. We all fell through a gray and white swirl. Blue snowflakes whisked past us and below us there was a light.


	17. Footsteps in the Snow

**CHAPTER SEVENTEEN**

"Whoa!" I cried.

I flew out of the door. All I saw was snow, but what I landed on didn't feel like it. Or what landed on me. Another dork pile formed, me on top of Sora and Donald and Goofy on top of me. Sora shook us off and got up on his hands and knees. I noticed now Sora dressed like Santa, Donald a snowman, and Goofy a reindeer. I glanced down, only to see that I looked the same.

"Cooool!" Sora said.

I heard Donald squawk in awe. I sat up and followed their gaze to in front of us. Past the giant mounds of snow was a pathway. The pathway lead to a brightly lit up town a ways down. I could see the tip of a Christmas tree poking up next to the town above a snow pile.

"So where's Santa?" Donald said.

"In his workshop." Jack said, pointing at Christmas Town. "Shall we?"

Sora, Donald and I scrambled to our feet and followed Jack. Goofy sighed.

* * *

><p>Christmas Town was empty. Up close, we could see the trees and buildings decorated with multicolored lights. In the center of the town, there was a broken carousel.<p>

Suddenly, Heartless appeared in front of us.

"Here, too?!" Sora cried.

"En garde, loyal bodyguards!" Jack said.

I looked around the area as I summoned my Keyblade. My eyes drew to the carousel.

"Hmm..." I said.

I ran over to the carousel. Some Driller Moles came at me, their drill mouths whirring.

"Thunder!" I cried, raising my Keyblade.

A bolt of thunder came down and struck the carousel. It began to spin around rapidly, creating a vortex that sucked in the Driller Moles and destroyed them.

"That works." I said. "If all these Heartless are wreaking havoc on Christmas Town, Santa could be in danger."

"Gawrsh, we can't let anything bad happen to Christmas!" Goofy said.

"That's where Sandy Claws lives." Jack said, pointing to the large red brick building.

We ran inside and dodged a flurry of elves that hurried past us, each only reaching up to our knees (and that was with their hats). One by one, they each entered the workshop. Sneaking a peek inside, I could see glimpses of more elves working giant toy-making machines. Seated in his Christmas-y chair, Santa Claus overlooked his Naughty and Nice lists. The fireplace beside him roar with fiery warmth. Sora, Donald, and Goofy gaped at Santa in childish delight.

"Well, hello everyone." Santa Claus said. "Did you come to see if you're on the "nice" list?"

We smiled and approached him. Sora stepped up.

"And what is your name?" Santa said.

"Um, Sora, sir." Sora said.

Santa looked through his list.

"Let's see... Sora..." Santa said. "Here you are."

He looked up at Sora, who bounced on his feet anxiously.

"Well, according to my list, Sora, seven years ago you told everyone you did not believe in Santa Claus..." Santa said. He stoked his long white beard. "Oh, that is unfortunate."

Sora cried out and pressed his hands against his head in disbelief.

"How about Donald and Goofy?" Donald said.

Santa looked at his list, smiled, and nodded.

"Oh boy!" Donald cried, jumping in the air.

"What about me?" I said. "My name is Hallie."

Santa looked through his list and a perplexed look formed on his face.

"This is very unusual..." Santa said. "You are not on my nice list or naughty list, Hallie."

"Huh?" I said.

"At least that's better..." Sora said, hanging his head. I put a hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

"Am I on your list too, by any chance?" Jack said. "It's me, Jack!"

"Jack Skellington?!" Santa said.

The sound of glass dropping and shattering on the floor radiated from the workshop. Santa dropped his list and stood up.

"What sort of trouble did you bring this time?" Santa said, walking over to the door.

"This time?" Sora said.

"It's a long story!" Jack said quickly.

We ran down to the workshop. It was quiet as we all looked around.

"Who's there?!" Santa called.

"Busted!" we heard three little voiced cry.

We saw the three children from the laboratory. The chubby kid threw a chain at the window, causing it to shatter. One by one, they all jumped out of the window.

"It's Lock, Shock, and Barrel!" Jack said.

"Not those three..." Santa said.

"I assure you, they're not with us."

"Well, whatever the case, they've been quite naughty. Catch them and bring them back here. They're going to get a lecture."

"Uh... Mr. Claws?" Jack said. "I wanted to talk to you about Christmas first-"

"It'll have to wait." Santa said. "I need to see how things are progressing in my workshop."

Santa Claus walked past us and away.

"C'mon, Jack- let's catch those little pranksters." Sora said.

"Oh, all right, then." Jack said.

* * *

><p>When we walked out of the workshop, we could see trails of footsteps in the snow.<p>

"Think it's from the kids?" I said.

"I'm certain." Jack said. "Let's go get them!"

* * *

><p>We followed the footsteps to Halloween Town. The footsteps lead to Curly Hill, where we found Lock, Shock, and Barrel.<p>

"There they are!" Sora said.

"But what is THAT?" I said.

Lock, Shock, and Barrel jumped into the air and into the cage connecting to the Prison Keeper Heartless that loomed over them. It shut the cage and waved its fingers.

"Stop them!" Shock cried.

"Tie 'em down!" Lock said.

"Get 'em!" Barrel chimed.

* * *

><p>"Ah ha ha!" Barrel laughed as the Prison Keeper shriveled away in dark fire.<p>

"That was fun!" Lock said.

"Let's go see if Mr. Oogie's ready!" Shock said.

The three children scurried away.

"Oogie?!" Jack said.

"Isn't he the one who tried to take over Halloween Town before?" Sora said. "You know, that big bag of bugs?"

"That's him. Fellows, I hope you're ready for trouble..." Jack said.

"Don't we have enough trouble already?" Goofy said.

"Have you met us?" I said. "No matter where we go, it always finds us."

* * *

><p>As we returned to the Graveyard, Sally came running over to us.<p>

"What's wrong, Sally?" Jack said.

"Jack! Oogie's kidnapped Santa Claus!" Sally said.

"Oh, no!" we all cried.

"And he's headed for Christmas Town!"

"C'mon, Jack- let's hurry!" Sora said.

"And who knows? Maybe if you rescue him, you'll be on his nice list again." I said.

"What are we standing around for?!" Sora said. "Let's go!"

* * *

><p>Arriving at Yuletide Hill, we could see smoke rising from Santa's workshop.<p>

"That's Santa's house!" Donald said.

"Let's hurry!" I said.

We ran down to the workshop and into the toy factory. With our weapons ready, we looked around the factory. A maniacal cackle filled the room. We turned around to see a giant, alive sack with holes for his empty mouth and eyes. He jumped down and shoved Sally over.

"Jack Skellington!" the sack said.

"Oogie!" Jack said.

Oogie chuckled. "You and I have a score to settle, Jack! Same goes for your little sidekicks!"

"What are you planning to do with Sandy Claws?"

"Who? Sandy Claws? I don't know what you're talking about!"

Oogie jumped down to Santa Claus, resting on a conveyor belt, tied up, and muffled.

"And why is this roly-poly red guy here? Time to go, grandpa!"

Oogie picked up Santa Claus and led him to the conveyor hole. He cackled as he walked, when suddenly a leg dropped in front of them.

"Eh?" Oogie said, examining the leg.

Santa Claus wriggled away from Oogie and hopped off of the conveyor belt.

"Mr. Santa Claus!" Sally waved. Santa scurried over to her.

Oogie growled and ran after them, but Jack, Sora, Donald, Goofy, and I blocked his way.

"Going somewhere?" I said.

"Why, you..." Oogie growled.

He ran onto the conveyor belt and into the middle of the three holes at the end of the room. He appeared in a glass box hanging above us. He pressed a button on the console in front of him. Spikes appeared at the end of the conveyor belts, pink barriers appeared around the belt, and the belts began to move backward into the spike walls.

"Stop!" Donald cried.

He ran forward into the middle hole, which glowed blue. He ran through and the left hole glowed blue as well. Donald came out of the left hole.

"Huh?!" he cried.

He ran back through the right hole and came out the middle hole.

"Not again?" he said.

"I got an idea. Follow my lead!" I said.

Purple and black gift bags came out of the hole onto the conveyor belt. Sora and I used our Keyblades to strike them up and at the glass box Oogie was in until the glass box broke. Oogie came tumbling out of the box and onto the conveyor belt. We attacked him. When he regained consciousness, he hopped back into the hole and into his glass box. It moved to the left belt. The four of us jumped into the hole when it glowed blue and came back out on the left side. We repeated this process until the barriers and spikes disappeared, and the belts stopped moving. Oogie had a hole in his leg and bugs were falling out. He panicked and covered the hole and sighed. He laughed, until his other leg began leaking as well. Both sides of him spilled bugs rapidly. He cried out in agony as he deflated until he was only a limp, empty sack on the ground. A bug scurried towards us, but Donald crushed it underneath his webbed, Christmas stocking foot. We sighed.

* * *

><p>"All right, Christmas is safe again!" Sora said.<p>

"Perfect! I'd better get down to business!" Jack said.

"Leave that to Santa!" Donald said.

"Yup, you oughta stick to Halloween and spooky stuff!" Goofy said.

"Jack?" Sally came out of the workshop with a pile of fabric in her arms. She handed it to Jack. "Here, it's done."

"Wonderful!" Jack cried. "Why, I love it! Thank you, Sally."

"Jack... Do you really have to do this?"

"But I make a splendid Sandy Claws!"

Santa came out of the workshop. "Listen here, Jack Skellington. You saved me, and Christmas as well. And for that, I'm very grateful. But please promise you won't cause any more trouble!"

Jack turned around, donning a Santa Claus suit.

"And about that suit!" Santa said. "Don't even think about taking over for me again!"

"I just thought you could use a little help this year, Mr. Claws. You must be exhausted from all the preparations. And- I wouldn't mind a second chance to get this Christmas thing right."

Santa sighed. "Yes, being Santa Claus can be tiring. But let me tell you something, Jack. Seeing the happy faces of little children when they discover the presents I've brought them makes it all worthwhile, year after year after year. And you, Jack- you love to make them gasp and see them shiver with fright. What if someone tried to take all of that away from you?"

Jack looked at the ground and scratched his cheek.

"We both have very important jobs to do, Jack." Santa continued. "Mine is to take care of Christmas, and yours is to take care of Halloween. So we each have to do the very best we can. After all, you're the face of Halloween- Mr. Jack Skellington! The Pumpkin King! The Knight of Nightmares! And even though you're fascinated with Christmas, Jack... Halloween is your true specialty. Don't you see? Children rely on both of us to do our jobs. Halloween needs your attention... and I know Christmas needs mine- urgently."

"You're right!" Jack said. "I am the master of terror! And if Halloween has become too routine, all I have to do is think of something new that'll really make them scream!"

"I think he's back." I said.

"Jack! Oh, Jack!" the mayor came running up to us. "I've been looking for you everywhere! We must go over the plans for next Halloween! I can't do a thing without your approval!"

"So true." Jack said.

Jack and the mayor walked away to the path back to Yuletide Hill.

"Good luck, Jack Skellington." Santa said.

"Well, there he goes." Sora said, putting his hands behind his back.

"Yes, and I've got lots of names to check and preparations to finish!" Santa said.

Suddenly, Jack stopped as he began to shimmer.

"Jack, this is no time for joking!" the mayor said.

"What's this?" Jack said. "Perhaps a bit too festive for our Halloween needs."

"And this..." I said, summoning Chaos Ripper. "is our true specialty."

"Right!" Sora said, summoning Kingdom Key.

We traveled to the heart of the world and sealed the keyhole.

"We'd better get going." Sora said.

"Before you do, Sora... I believe there's a friend of yours... who- if I recall correctly- was the one who told you there's no such thing as Santa Claus?" Santa said.

"Oh yeah... He did say that." Sora said.

"Be sure to give him my very best wishes."

"I will, but... Do you know where I can find Riku?"

"No... but don't give up! Remember, if you believe in Riku, you will find him. Just as you found me."

"Right!" Sora said.

Santa looked at me. "The same goes for you, Hallie."

"Huh?" I said.

I realized what he meant. A small smile crept onto my face. I looked at Sora. He smiled at me and nodded. My grin grew. I looked back at Santa and bowed.

"Thank you, Santa." I said. "Also, do you have any idea why I'm not on either of your lists?"

Santa stroked his beard thoughtfully. "I haven't a clue. But if I do, I'll let you know."

"Right. Thanks."


	18. Just What the Kingdom Needs

**Author's Note: Please see my bio for information on story posting. Or skip this if you don't care. Happy reading!  
><strong>

* * *

><p><strong>CHAPTER EIGHTEEN<strong>

"Hey! Check us out!" Sora said.

I did a 360 as I examined myself. I was no longer a human, but a lion cub: blond fur covered my body, leaving my underbelly and the tip of my tail tinted red. The brown cords remained curled around my right arm, extending a few inches up to my elbow. My brown hair came down into a short bob and hung over my shoulders. Sora's maintained his spiky brown hair, slightly brighter and richer than the brown fur that covered his body. His crown necklace hung over his chest. Donald hovered above us as a tropical bird, with white plumage and blue-tipped wings and tail, matching his hat that he retained on his head. Goofy waddled around as a tortoise: his back adorned with a yellow and white shell, his underbelly was a pale green, and the hat on his head was green instead of orange.

"And I thought the Halloween Town styles were weird." I said. "Where are we?"

We looked around the area we were in. Strange pools of green liquid boiled and steamed against the walls. Jagged protrusions of rock jutted out of the ground and several small platforms lined the walls of the rocky gorge. I kicked a pebble and the noise resonated like an Indiana Jones boulder.

"This place is kind creepy." Sora said.

Three hyenas approached us, a female with two males walking alongside her. The male on the left cackled and ended with a snort. They circled around us as more hyenas appeared on the platforms.

"Heartless?" Sora said.

"I dunno, Sora. I get the feelin' they might live here." Goofy said.

"I still don't think they're here to welcome us." I said.

"Don't mind us! Just passing through. We won't be any trouble." Donald said.

"Yeah, that's right!" Sora said.

"Don't be silly. We'd love you to stick around for lunch." the female of the three hyenas said.

"Um... we didn't bring anything to eat." Sora said.

"That's not gonna be a problem!" one of the male hyenas chuckled.

"Sora, look around you!" I said. "WE'RE what's for lunch!"

The crazy hyena laughed again. In a panic, we split up. Sora and I ran alongside each other, but the concept of running on four legs instead of two is still new to us. We stumbled forward and flipped over on our backs.

"Going somewhere?" the male hyena said in our upside-down view.

More hyenas cornered Donald and Goofy. The male hyena opened his mouth and I closed my eyes. As he was about to take a bite out of my face, a lion's roar echoed through the gorge.

"Man, that Scar's got the worst timing." the male hyena grumbled.

"Just let him roar." the female hyena said.

"Nah, we better go see what he wants. Sounds like he's grumpy enough."

The cackle of hyenas scurried out of the gorge.

"I don't know what that was about, but I'm glad it's over!" Sora said.

"For a moment there, I thought we were toast!" I said.

Donald and Goofy sighed in relief.

"Everything's harder on four legs..." Sora said.

"Better start practicing!" Donald said.

"Yeah. With those hyenas running around, we don't want to stumble right into their canines." I said.

"I found a trick to it. Here, lemme show ya!" Goofy said.

* * *

><p>After getting the hang of walking on all fours, we left the gorge into a giant graveyard. A lioness sprinted across the plain, pausing to turn around and utter a threatening growl before scurrying away from two Living Bones.<p>

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" Sora said.

"Heartless?!" Donald said.

"What do we do?" Goofy said.

"We've gotta help her!" I said.

We ran over and stood in front of the lioness, crouching low in a ready pounce.

"Stay back!" Sora said to her.

We summoned our Keyblades. Sora fit Kingdom Key into his mouth and I wrapped my tail around the handle of Chaos Ripper. One Living Bone barreled towards me. I jumped up on its back and rode around on it. I grabbed the fur on its collar with my teeth and yanked it up so it flipped around. I jumped off as it crashed down to the ground headfirst into the other Living Bone. They both dissolved into dark dust.

"Definitely Heartless." Sora said.

"Thank you. You really saved me." the lioness said.

"We're just glad you're okay." Goofy said.

"Are there any more of those Heartless around here?" I said.

"Heartless... Is that what they're called? I'm not sure if there are any others..." the lioness said. "I don't usually hunt outside the Pride Lands."

"Pride Lands?" Donald said.

"Hey, do you know if a guy named Riku is there?" Sora said. "Or some black guys in hoods? Or maybe this really big bully named Pete?"

The lioness shook her head. Sora sighed.

"Oh well, we might as well go take a look, anyway." Sora said.

"Wait- the Pride Lands are dangerous." the lioness said. "Scar and the hyenas have made it unbearable for everyone. There's no food left. They've driven off the prey. We're about to starve!"

"We can handle a little danger. You just saw us beat those Heartless, didn't you?" Sora said.

"We've been doing this for a while now. We can handle it!" I said.

"I guess you're right..." the lioness said. "You could be just what the kingdom needs. Maybe you can help us."

"Ya mean take on this Scar guy and all those hyenas?" Goofy said.

"Who's Scar?" Donald said.

"He took over when our last king, Mufasa, died." the lioness said.

"So, you're saying this guy's your king..." Sora said, piecing together the hints. He widened his eyes. "You want us to take down your king?!"

The lioness nodded.

"Wait just a minute."

The four of us huddled together.

"We can't just go around knocking kings off their thrones..." Sora said, his voice low and quiet. His blue eyes lit up mischievously. "Then again, if they see that I'm stronger than their king, maybe they'll ask me to be their next king!"

"Sora..." Goofy said.

Sora chuckled. "I'd have to refuse, of course. Still, I'd like to see the Pride Lands, so you guys don't mind lending 'em a paw, do you?"

Sora scampered over to the lioness and spoke with her again.

"Uh-oh, there he goes again..." Donald said.

I sighed. "If we end up as animal stew for those hyenas, I'm blaming him."

The lioness nodded at Sora and ran off.

"She's gonna go on ahead and tell the other lionesses." Sora said. "We're supposed to meet her at a place called Pride Rock."

* * *

><p>As we arrived at Pride Rock, we passed by a group of sleeping lionesses. The lioness from before, Nala, approached us with a baboon at her side carrying a stick with a strange fruit attached to it.<p>

"That's him." Nala said.

The baboon walked up to Sora and stared at him.

"Uh... what?" Sora said, backing away.

The baboon looked at each of us. The sleeping lionesses woke and watched what took place. The baboon returned to Nala and whispered something to her. She looked at him shocked and she bowed her head in disappointment. The lionesses went back to sleep.

"What is it?" Sora said.

"I told Rafiki you might be able to help us force Scar and the hyenas out of the Pride Lands. But he says it won't work." Nala said. "You see, whoever saves the Pride Lands will be our next king... and he has to have the right qualities."

"Meaning..." Sora said.

"I think she means you're not cut out for the job, Sora." Goofy said.

Sora sighed and bowed his head.

"I'm sorry you came all this way." Nala said.

"Hey, no- it's okay." Sora said.

Nala walked closer to us.

"You'd better go before Scar finds out you're here." Nala said, talking quietly. "I'm really sorry."

As we turned around to leave, the three hyenas from the gorge approached us. Three more stood behind us. We assumed our crouched battle stances.

"Hey- a snack." the male hyena, Banzai, said.

"Snack? Nah, we got us a three course meal." the female hyena, Shenzi, said.

"What do you guys want?" I said.

The other male hyena, Ed, cackled. A lion roared behind us.

"Look at that, here comes Scar- the king." Banzai said, finishing with a sarcastic chuckle.

A lion with amber brown fur and a dark maroon mane sneered at us. A black lion with an unfitting face stood next to him.

"And Pete!" Sora said.

Scar leaped down from the rocks and approached us. Pete attempted to jump down, but he tripped and stumbled down the rocks. Sora shook his head.

"That's gonna hurt in the morning." I said.

"My back..." Pete groaned.

"What are you doing here?!" Sora said.

"Aww, the cute li'l kitties's worried about me." Pete said. "If I were you, I'd be more worried about my friends!"

We turned around to see Donald and Goofy surrounded by hyenas.

"Sora! Hallie!" Donald cried.

"We're surrounded!" Goofy said.

"Go on, ladies- you've got some hunting to do." Scar said.

"The herds have moved on, Scar. We can't hunt in a land with no prey!" Nala countered.

"No prey? Then what do you call this?"

"We're not prey!" Sora said.

"Oh. Nice and fresh, too."

"Just let us go!" I said.

"Well, they're all yours, Scar." Pete said.

Pete ran off. Scar readied himself to pounce at us, but Nala lunged and tackled him to the ground. Sora gasped.

"Nala!" I cried.

"Run!" she called.

We nodded, turned around, and ran away with the hyenas behind us.

"Follow me!" Nala said as she ran past us.

* * *

><p>We stopped and caught our breath outside of Pride Rock.<p>

"I'm sorry I got you involved in this." Nala said.

"It's no big deal." Sora said.

"Thanks for getting us out of that, though." I said.

"Aw, it's not your fault. Sora wouldn't be a good king." Donald said.

"Hey! I had to give it a try, right?" Sora said. I snickered into my paw.

"So you DID want to be king!" Goofy said.

"First he wanted to be a pirate, and now a king." I said. "There's no stopping you."

"Well... you know..." Sora said. "Nala, isn't there anybody else who could be king?"

"There was... but he died... when he was just a cub." Nala said. "We was the son of our last king, Mufasa... If only Simba were here..."

"Simba?! But Simba's just fine!" Sora said. "He was fighting right beside us not that long ago."

"You mean Simba's alive?! But where is he?" Nala said.

"That... I don't know."

"Still... Simba's alive! I can't believe it... Please- tell me more about him."

"Of course!"

"But first, we should get away from Scar. We'll go through Wildebeest Valley." Nala said, pointing her head in the direction. "He won't follow us there."

* * *

><p>As soon as we arrived at the Wildebeest Valley, a huge chasm greeted us. Sora stared down the chasm with a nervous look on his face.<p>

"Whoa..." he whimpered.

Nala scooted back away from the chasm. She sprinted forward and jumped over the chasm onto the other side. Sora continued looking down the chasm.

"What's wrong?" Nala said.

"We're never gonna make it!" Sora said.

Nala sighed, smiled, and shook her head.

"I guess Rafiki was right." I heard her whisper.

"What?" Sora called.

"Never mind. It's not important. Here, I'll show you how. You can do it!"

One by one, we all leaped across the chasm to the other side.

* * *

><p>"So, why did you think Simba was dead?" I asked.<p>

"When Simba's father, King Mufasa, died, we were told that Simba died alongside him." Nala said.

"Who told you that?" Sora said.

Nala stopped and bowed her head. "Scar."

We heard footsteps. We looked behind us and saw the baboon, Rafiki, walking up a rock slope.

"It is time." Rafiki said. He pointed his staff ahead.

"It must be Simba!" Nala cried. "Sora, Hallie, hurry!"

"Wait up!" Sora said.

* * *

><p>We found Simba in an oasis: a big lion with a red, luscious mane, dark yellow fur, and brown eyes. He crouched on a log and with Aerial Knocks surrounding him. One slowly approached him. Simba let out a roar and the Heartless disappeared.<p>

"Simba!" Sora called.

We ran over to him. Simba scowled and crouched down.

"I-it's me- Sora! Donald and Goofy are here, too. This is our friend, Hallie." Sora said.

Simba approached Sora, Donald, and Goofy. He stared at them for a moment. A smile grew on his face.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" Simba cried.

He jumped forward and tackled Sora to the ground. Donald, Goofy, and I laughed.

"What happened to you?" Simba said.

Suddenly, two screams echoed from the forest.

"Help, Simba! _Heeelp_!" a voice cracked.

"She's gonna eat us!" a lower voice screamed.

"Timon? Pumbaa?!" Simba said. "Something must have happened in the jungle! I have to go help my friends!"

"Okay, we'll back you up." Sora said.

* * *

><p>Simba ran forward and tackled Nala to the ground before she could pounce on a meerkat and boar cowering against a log.<p>

"Simba! Wait!" Sora cried.

They roared and smacked at each other with their claws.

"Stop!" Donald cried.

"It's Nala! Don't you recognize her?" Sora said.

Nala tackled Simba to the ground and bared her teeth.

"Nala?" Simba said.

Nala stopped and backed away. She looked at Simba curiously.

"It's me, Simba!" Simba said.

She examined him, then a big smile grew on her face.

"Simba!" she said. The two butted heads playfully and circled around each other. "You're alive!"

"Hey, what's goin' on, here?" the meerkat, Timon said.

Timon and Pumbaa slowly turned around as we walked up behind them. They screamed and hid behind Simba.

"Don't worry. They're all friends of mine." Simba said.

"So that means... nobody's planning to eat anybody else for lunch, right?" Timon said.

"Are you sure they don't wanna eat me like I'm some kinda pig?!" Pumbaa said.

"We won't... but you are a pig, right?" Sora said.

"Call me Mr. Pig!" Pumbaa cried, and laughter rippled through us.

Simba lowered his head to Timon's level. "Could you guys excuse us for a few minutes?" he said.

"Why am I not surprised?" Timon said.

Simba and Nala walked together back to the oasis.

* * *

><p>During the time we waited, Timon and Pumbaa taught Sora, Donald, and Goofy about their life motto: Hakuna Matata. I have no idea what it meant, but the three boys got a kick out of it. They formed a congo line and danced into the oasis.<p>

"Hakuna!" Timon said.

"Matata!" everyone else answered.

"Hakuna!"

"Matata!"

I walked behind them, shaking my head and sighing. Nala passed us with a brooding look.

"He's not the Simba I remember." she said. "Something about hakuna matata..."

We watched her walk back into the forest.

"Uh oh." I said, turning to Timon and Pumbaa. "What did you do?"

Timon and Pumbaa shrugged and refused to meet my gaze. When we approached Simba, he turned around and left the oasis.

* * *

><p>"You can all come out now." Simba said.<p>

We emerged from the bushes. Night had fallen and the cicadas were chirping. The stars sparkled.

"I'm going back to face my past. I could use your help." Simba said.

"He really is a king..." Timon said.

The sun rose over the horizon, casting rays of hope over our faces.

* * *

><p>As we walked across the Savannah, Simba stood on a protruded rock and gasped at the sight of his dying home, Pride Rock.<p>

"Wait a minute. We're gonna fight your uncle for THIS?" Timon said.

Simba looked over his shoulder at us, then back at Pride Rock.

"Yes, Timon. This is my home." Simba said.

* * *

><p>Scar gasped and backed away.<p>

"Simba! You're... alive!" he said.

"This kingdom doesn't belong to you." Simba said.

"Simba's the rightful king." Nala said.

"The choice is yours, Scar. Either step down or fight."

"Must this all end in violence?" Scar said. "I'd hate to be responsible for the death of a family member, Simba..."

"I've put the past behind me!" Simba bared his teeth.

"But what about your faithful subjects? Have they?"

"Simba, what's he talking about?" Nala said.

"Go on. Tell them who's responsible for Mufasa's death!" Scar said.

Simba bowed his head. "I am."

Nala gasped.

"He admits it! Murderer!" Scar said, backing Simba up to the tip of Pride Rock. "If it weren't for you, Mufasa would still be alive. Do you deny it?"

"No, but it was an accident!" Simba said.

"You're in trouble again. But this time, Daddy isn't here to save you. And now everyone knows why!"

"I don't believe Simba killed his father one bit." I growled, baring my canines.

Simba slipped over the edge and was dangling from it. Scar leaned over and whispered something to Simba. He gasped and leaped over the edge and tackled Scar to the ground.

"Murderer!" Simba cried. "Tell them the truth!"

"All right. All right! I did it." Scar said.

"Louder!"

"I... killed... Mufasa!"

Shenzi, Banzai, and Ed came scurrying over and tackled Simba. Scar ran away into the cave.

"Simba! You get Scar! We'll handle these guys!" Sora said. A pool of hyenas circled him.

"Sora!" I called.

Timon and Pumbaa came barreling through, knocking around hyenas left and right.

"'Scuse me! Pardon me! Comin' through!" Timon said.

The hyenas all glared at Timon and Pumbaa and chased them into the cave.

"We've got to help them!" I said.

"Right!" Sora said, summoning his Keyblade.

The hyenas sprinted around the room as they chased after Timon and Pumbaa. One by one we took out the hyenas. They retreated out from the cave.

"Scar and Simba are up at the top!" Pumbaa said. "This is the grand finale. Go cheer Simba on!"

"We'll do more than that." I said, gripping Chaos Ripper tighter.

We ran up to the top. Scar and Simba were circling each other. Simba panted; he looked exhausted.

"Simba!" Donald cried. He tried to fly over to him, but Sora held his paw up to stop him.

Simba jumped up and slashed his claws at Scar. Scar recovered and shoved his back. Simba looked up from his back and saw Scar lunge over, claws ready. Simba picked up his feet into Scar's abdomen and sent him over the edge.

"You're okay!" Sora said.

"You really did it!" I said.

"Aw, that was just a sneak preview!" We turned around to see Pete walking up to the top. "'Cause this ain't over- not by a long shot!"

"What are you yammering on about?" I said.

Pete pointed his paw to something behind us. We looked over and jumped when we saw a claw reach up and grab the edge of the cliff.

"Anger and jealousy turned the king of Pride Rock into a Heartless!" Pete said. "Oh, your kingdom's gonna rise again... but this time, as the Pride Lands of Darkness!"

Scar leaped onto the rock platform and glowered with darkness. The four of us assumed our battle stances. Simba stepped in front of us.

"That's what you think!" Simba said.

I summoned Chaos Ripper and Sora summoned Kingdom Key. Scar leaped over and tackled me to the ground. As we rolled around, we came to a stop and Scar raised his claws. I took the chance to extract mine and swipe at his face. I pulled away and slashed at him with my Keyblade. Simba and Sora stood together and pounded their paws against the ground, causing giant dirt geysers to rise up. They attacked Scar in a blinding fury of tumbles, Simba vertically and Sora horizontally. A ring of yellow light appeared around them as they stood together again. They threw their heads back and released a menacing roar from their mouths. Columns of light erupted from the ground.

Scar slowly approached us. We stood ready. As Scar limped towards us, he glowed a light purple. He fell to the ground.

* * *

><p>We watched Simba as he made his climb to the tip of Pride Rock. He paused to look up at the sky before he uttered a roar. The lionesses responded. He let out another roar and a portal of light appeared in the sky that lit up the area.<p>

"Is that it?" I said.

Our Keyblades appeared.

"I think so." Sora said.

We traveled to the heart of the world and sealed the keyhole.

"Hey! What's with the light show?" Timon said.

"We have to say goodbye for a little while." Sora said.

"I'll go tell Simba." Pumbaa said.

"Aw, he's prob'ly busy. Just tell him we'll be back soon." Goofy said.

"Oh, that's right- he's king now." Timon said. "He's gonna be so busy he'll prob'ly forget all about his two best buddies."

"Of course he won't! He knows you'll always be there for him no matter what!" I said.

"And besides, you've always got hakuna matata, right?" Sora said.

"Guess so..." Pumbaa said.

"Whaddya mean, "Guess so"?!" Timon said. "What if he forgets to tell the carnivores who we are? One look at you, and you're a pig roast."

"That's MISTER Pig Roast." Donald said.

"Same thing! And I'm not sticking around to be anybody's pork dinner!" Pumbaa said, running away.

"Pumbaa!" Timon ran after Pumbaa.

"You can never forget your true buddies." Sora said.

I looked at the ground. "Never." I said.


	19. The Boy at the Plaza

**CHAPTER NINETEEN**

"Hey, look! Twilight Town!" Chip called.

"Yup! I can see it again! It's back!" Dale said.

"What's Twilight Town?" I asked.

"That's the town that we first woke up in. For a while now, it was swallowed up in darkness. We have some friends there." Sora said. "We should go visit them."

* * *

><p>We arrived at Twilight Town plaza. A little, three-foot tall black mage ran past us.<p>

"H-Help! The sandlot! It's Seifer!" he cried. "Somebody please help us!"

"Sounds like we've got trouble." Sora said.

* * *

><p>We ran to the sandlot, where three people laid on the ground. Dusks jumped around them.<p>

"Nobodies?" I said.

"We'll take it from here!" Sora said.

I summoned Chaos Ripper and Sora summoned Kingdom Key. As the Dusks came towards us, I stepped to the side to confuse them before I slashed at them. Berserkers appeared. I ran up behind them and shoved them away from their hammer sword. I grabbed the handle and rage filled my body. I slammed the sword into one Berserker, who flew back and crashed into its friend. A third swung its weapon, but I raised my stolen hammer sword and blocked it. With a grunt, I pushed it back as my sword expired and disappeared, summoned Chaos Ripper back to my side, and jump-slashed my enemy to oblivion.

When silence came, we heard a single pair of hands clapping. We turned to see a man in a black coat. Darkness shrouded his face.

"Impressive." a voice said. "By the way, have you seen a man named Axel? I expect he's here somewhere."

"Like I care." Sora snapped.

We struck our battle stances.

"You see, Axel's no longer acting in our best interest." the Organization member said.

"Is he with the Organization, too?" Goofy said.

"Yes."

"You havin' a fight?" Donald said.

"Not a very organized Organization..." Sora said.

The man pointed at us.

"Don't let your guard down." he said. "Axel will stop at nothing to turn you into a Heartless."

"Oh, and the rest of you aren't doing the same?" I said.

"Gee, thanks for looking out for us, mister, but I'm sure we can take care of ourselves just fine." Sora said.

"Glad to hear it." the man said. "Axel aside, it would break our hearts to hear something happened to you."

"Hearts?" Donald said. "You don't have any hearts!"

The man lifted his hood and removed it. He had long blue hair, amber eyes, pointy ears, and a scar across his glabella in the shape of an X.

_Saix._ I paused. _Do I know him from somewhere? No, not possible. Why would I hang out with Nobodies? But still, he looks familiar..._

"True, we don't have hearts." Saix said. "But we remember what it was like. That's what makes us special."

"Special?" I laughed. "You're nothing but a mere shell!"

Saix looked at me and something flashed in his eyes. He smirked. A portal of darkness opened up behind him.

"We know very well how to injure a heart." Saix said. "Sora, Hallie, you just keep on fighting those Heartless."

"Let's jump in after him!" Sora whispered.

"What? Are you crazy?" I said.

"Maybe he'll lead us to the Organization's world."

"You... have a point. Maybe we should..."

"Don't be reckless. Do you want to end up like Riku and Callum?" Saix said.

"What?!" Sora and I cried.

Saix bowed and stepped back into the portal.

"Hey, wait!" Sora cried.

The portal disappeared.

"What did he mean, end up like Riku?" Sora said. He looked to me. I stared at the ground.

"Hey, how 'bout you get out of my town now? You've cause enough trouble." a rough voice said.

The three people that we saved, two guys and a girl, stood there, trying to size us up.

"Riku..." Sora said.

"Like we'd want to stay here anyway!" I said.

"Have it your way! C'mon, guys." Donald said.

"Hold it!" the middle male said, who I guessed to be Seifer.

"Make up your mind!"

Seifer held out a trophy. "This goes to the strongest guy in Twilight Town."

Sora pointed at himself and smiled.

"Thanks, but... we don't really need it." he said.

Seifer walked over and shoved the trophy into Goofy's hands. They walked away.

"Oh! Sora!" a heavy-set boy with brown eyes and black hair wearing a red jersey and blue pants ran up to us.

"Um... Pence, right?" Sora said.

"Do you know a girl named Kairi?" Pence said.

A flash of pain erupted in my brain.

_I thought I was done with those!_

"K...Kairi?! I sure do!" Sora cried.

"Then you better come to the station!" Pence said.

A big smile appeared on Sora's face. I raised my eyebrow.

* * *

><p>Donald, Goofy, and I tried our best to catch up with Sora as he sprinted through Twilight Town with Pence. We ran up to the station.<p>

"Okay, time out!" I said, leaning over to catch my breath. "Who's this Kairi?"

"She's... my friend." Sora said. Donald and Goofy giggled into their hands.

"He-ey!" a voice called.

Two kids came running over to us: a boy with blond hair and brown eyes wearing a black muscle shirt, grey vest, and camouflage capris and a girl with brown hair and green eyes wearing an orange tank-top with white floral designs and khaki capris.

"Hey, so how do you guys know Kairi?" Sora said.

The two kids glanced at each other, then at the ground.

"We met her earlier today." the girl, Olette, said.

"Kairi was really here?!" Sora said.

"Yeah. And... she said she was looking for you." the other boy, Hayner, said.

"Tell me where she is!"

"Something tells me that she's more than just a friend..." I whispered. Donald and Goofy giggled.

"Well..." Hayner said.

They told us about how they told her that if she stayed, Sora would show up eventually. Then suddenly, a portal of darkness appeared and a man with spiky red hair wearing a black coat came out. Hayner and Pence "bravely" tried to fight against him, but they were no match for him and the man took Kairi.

"Kairi..." Sora said.

He reached into his pocket and pulled out a seashell-made charm. He gazed at it broodingly.

"Sora." I said, putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Ya think it might've been Axel?" I heard Goofy whisper behind me.

"Sorry." Hayner said.

"Hey, it's not your fault. C'mon, cheer up!" Sora said, trying to sound positive. His face fell and he stared at the ground. "Like I can even say that..."

Sora sighed.

"I've gotta help Kairi!" Sora cried suddenly.

Goofy stumbled back and dropped the trophy. The gems attached to it popped off and began rolling away. Hayner, Pence, and Olette ran up and caught them: orange, yellow, and green.

"That was close!" Pence said.

Sora leaned over and picked up the blue gem that rolled up to him. He reached his hand out. I stood closer to him and we looked through the gem as the sun's rays shined through it. Goofy pulled out a pouch, reached into it, and extracted from it another blue gem. For a few moments, it was quiet.

I glanced at Sora and I backed away in shock. The person that was standing there was not Sora. He had spiky, golden blond hair. He wore a black, high-collared shirt with another one over it, unzipped and half-white, half-black. He wore caprice pants that ballooned out with shades of black, white, and gray. He wore bits of dull green and blue armor on his body, one section underneath his jacket, a pauldron on his left bicep, and his shoes. He had a wristband with a black-and-white checkerboard pattern and two crisscrossing straps on his chest with an unusual heart-shaped symbol on the center.

"Sora?!" I heard Donald cry, yet he, as well as everyone else, no longer stood beside me. The world around us disappeared.

The boy turned his attention from the gem to me and smiled. I stepped back.

"Who... are you?" I said.

But I knew those deep blue eyes that glistened in the sunlight. I knew _him_. I gulped in air, realizing that I stopped breathing.

"Hallie, are you okay?" Goofy said.

I shook my head vigorously, and my friends appeared around me once again, their eyes on me. Goofy scratched his head. The blue gem in Sora's hand began to shimmer and it lifted out of his hands and above us. We traveled to the heart of the world and sealed the keyhole. Returning back to reality, I bowed my head in quiet, and confused, thoughtfulness.

"Wh-What just happened?" Pence said.

"A new road is open. And Kairi, Riku..." Sora glanced at me. "and Callum are waiting somewhere along it."

I lifted my eyes and smiled at him.

"Good luck with that." Olette said. "If you find Kairi, say hello for us!"

"Will you be back?" Hayner said.

"Of course!" I said.

"Promise!" Sora said.

* * *

><p>Back at the Gummi Ship, Sora sighed and dropped his head.<p>

"The King, Riku- and now I've lost Kairi again, too." Sora said.

"Don't be sad!" Donald said.

"Donald's right, you know! Why, you're the key that connects everything!" Goofy said.

"So it's all MY fault." Sora said.

"Gawrsh, I didn't mean it like that!"

"Everything's going to work out, Sora." I said. I looked ahead of me into the voids of space. "One day, all the ties will be connected, and... what you thought was lost forever will be found."

Sora looked at me thoughtfully. I looked at him and placed my hand over his.

"Don't give up on what your heart wants." I said.

Sora paused. "Thanks... Hallie." He smiled at me. The twinkle in his eyes returned.

Another locking sound. The image of the boy at the plaza came into my mind and I looked away. The thought of him made my heart speed up.

* * *

><p>As we cruised along the voids of space, Hollow Bastion appeared in the distance.<p>

"Oh no! Hollow Bastion!" Chip cried. "It's all covered in darkness!"

"What?!" we all cried.

I stood up from my chair and pressed my face against the window to get a closer look. Shrouds of darkness coiled around the world, and an ominous, black trench hung underneath.

_Oh, no._ _Please no. Not again..._

I stopped myself.

"I wonder what's goin' on?" Dale said.

"Sora! We better hurry and check it out right away!" Chip said.

"On it!" Sora said. "Hallie, you'd better sit down. It'll be a bumpy ride."

Lingering on the horror in front of me, I stepped back and sat in my chair. Sora pressed a couple of buttons on the control panel, gripped the steering wheel, and plunged us further into space. As we flew, I held my hand over my heart and sighed.

_First the Demyx mentioned you, and now Saix?_ I gulped. _Callum... what did you do?_


	20. Ansem's Computer Room

**CHAPTER TWENTY**

As we walked into Hollow Bastion, we saw some Soldier Heartless come running up. We gasped as they disappeared.

"Do you think..." Sora said.

"Looks like there's more Heartless now." Goofy said.

Suddenly, Dusks flew by.

"And Nobodies?" I said. "This can't be good."

"Let's go check in with everyone." Sora said.

"I think they're at Merlin's." Goofy said.

"Well, come on!" I cried, running ahead of them.

* * *

><p>We passed through the town's plaza and approached a man with blond spiky hair wearing all black. He was leaning against the wall with this eyes closed.<p>

"Oh, Cloud!" Sora said.

Cloud glanced up at us, then closed his eyes again.

"Whatcha doing?" Donald said.

"I'll get him. This time we settle it." Cloud said. "Me, and the one who embodies all the darkness in me."

"Ha, I thought you looked kinda different, Cloud." Donald said.

"If I do, it's his fault."

"Whose?" Sora said.

"Sephiroth." Cloud said. "Tell me if you see him."

"It'll be kind of hard since we don't know who he is." I said. "What does he look like?"

"Silver hair. Carries a long sword."

"Sure. Well, be seeing you, Cloud." Sora said.

We turned to leave, but Cloud opened his eyes and stood up straight.

"Be careful." he said. "He messes with your head, makes you think darkness is the only way."

"Is something wrong?" a sweet voice rang in the air.

Aerith approached Cloud and followed him as he tried to walk away.

"Uhh..." Sora said, crossing his arms.

Cloud turned to Aerith.

"It's nothing." he said. Aerith leaned in closer. "I don't want you involved."

"You mean you don't want me there when you go away again?" Aerith said.

"I just- Listen, even if I go far away, I'll come back."

"Do you mean it?"

"Yeah..."

"See? You don't look so sure... Well, okay, I understand. Go- get things settled."

"Huh?" Cloud said.

"No matter how far away you are... once you find your light... I'm sure it will lead you back here again. Right?" Aerith said.

"I suppose."

"So I'll stay here- and I'll cheer for you- Okay, Cloud?"

"Okay."

Cloud turned around and walked away. Sora stepped next to Aerith.

"Wonder if he'll be okay." Aerith said.

"He'll be fine." Sora said. "I'm sure there's some light in him somewhere."

I held my hand over my heart. "If there ever comes a time when you are lost in darkness, a heart of light will always come to help you." I said.

I stared at the ground in bewilderment. Those words felt strange as they came out of my mouth, like they belonged to someone else. I looked up at Aerith.

"My point is... even if Cloud does wind up in the darkness again, he knows that you'll be there to welcome him back to the light." I said.

Aerith smiled. "You're right."

My eyes trailed down to the leather cords on my right arm. I traced them and a flash of pain echoed in my brain.

* * *

><p>We entered Merlin's house, where Cid was typing away on a keyboard and Yuffie was standing next to him. He told us that Leon found the computer that Ansem once used. He gave us directions, but once we stepped out of the house, the boys stood around in a confused circle.<p>

"Where's the... castle postern?" Sora said, scratching his head.

I sighed and tapped my finger on my chin. My eyes scanned the area.

"Follow me." I said.

My feet felt like they had a mind of their own. We made our way into the bailey.

"Excuse me, are you with the Restoration Committee?" a voice said.

We turned around and saw three very unusual looking fairies floating before us.

"What's Leon's gang up to?" the middle girl with short brown hair asked.

"They've got stuff to do over by the castle postern." Sora said.

"Scoop!" the girl with long blond hair and a sunset ombre scarf cried.

"Huh?"

"Let's report." the third girl wearing all black said.

"To who?" Donald said.

"Our leader, of course!" the first girl said.

"Yeah, you know, M-" the second girl tried to speak, but the third girl covered her mouth.

"Don't mind her. I assure you, we come in peace." the third girl said.

"You're kidding..."

"Problem? Okay, fine, you do the talking."

The black fairy disappeared.

"So sorry about this!" the brunette fairy bowed and disappeared.

The blond fairy giggled and disappeared, shooting us a peace sign. Donald and Goofy looked at Sora. He shrugged.

"I don't know what that was all about, but we should continue heading over to the castle postern." I said.

* * *

><p>We ran into Aerith again, who told us that King Mickey was with Leon. Sora, Donald, and Goofy bounced excitedly on their feet at the thought of seeing him again, but I had some serious issues that I needed to discuss. We entered what looked to be someone's office. Books and papers were strewn across the floor and on a giant desk. Tall bookshelves stretched across the room, but the thing that caught our attention was the giant portrait of a man with white hair styled with spikes and pointy ears.<p>

"Ansem..." Sora said.

We approached the painting.

"Gawrsh, I guess this must be his room." Goofy said.

Donald looked around. "Where's the King?"

"Hello?" Sora called.

I studied the man in the painting. The name that they gave him, Ansem, didn't set quite right inside of me.

"Hey, guys, I don't think-" I said.

"Hey, you!" a voice called.

Standing at the door was a girl with long dark brown hair, brown eyes, and dressed in a black vest, shorts, and sneakers. She glanced around the room.

"I'm looking for somebody. Have any of you seen a guy with spiky hair?" the girl said.

Donald and Goofy looked at Sora. Sora reached up and pulled at one of his hair spikes.

The girl laughed. "Spikier." she said. We shook our heads. "I'll just take a look around."

The girl searched the room: knocking on walls, looking through "Ansem's" desk and bookshelves, and even trying to bring the wall down with a powerful roundhouse kick. The girl sighed.

"Sorry to bother you." she said as she left the room.

"No bother, ma'am!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy said, standing at attention. I rolled my eyes.

"So you made it." a familiar voice said. We turned around.

"Leon!" Sora said.

Leon leaned against the wall with his arms crossed. He stood up straight and nodded.

"Aerith said the King was with you." I said. "Is he here?"

Leon brought his finger up to his lips. "You'll see him soon enough."

"Hey!" Donald cried.

"Here, this ought to tide you over."

Leon turned around and pressed his hand against the wall. The wall disappeared and revealed a pathway.

"Ansem's computer room." Leon said.

* * *

><p>The computer room beeped and whirred with strange technology. Against the wall was a large computer with strange pictures and symbols on it. Sora ran over to the computer.<p>

"This is it!" he cried. "Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?"

Sora typed a few keys, but then settled with slamming his hands against the keyboard.

"Easy..." Leon said. "You wanna break it?"

"Oh, sorry..." Sora said, scratching the back of his head. "Guess I got a little carried away."

Goofy cried out and pointed at the ceiling. We looked up to see a strange, blue creature hanging from the ceiling. It let out a yelp and fell down on the computer.

"Get offa there!" Donald cried.

He jumped on the keyboard, but the creature jumped off of his head and scurried away. Donald growled and stepped around on the keyboard. Alarms went off suddenly.

"Attention current user. This is a warning." a deep, robotic voice said. "Further misuse of this terminal will result in immediate defensive action."

"Who's there?" Sora said.

"I am the Master Control Program. I oversee this system."

"Where are you?"

Donald moved his foot, causing more alarms to go off.

"Donald!" we all cried.

"I'm sorry!" Donald said.

"Decision gate reached. You are now under arrest." the computer said.

"Arrest?!" Sora cried.

We looked at each other in confusion. It was silent for a few moments. In my peripheral view, I saw Leon jump.

"Run!" he cried.

We whipped our heads to him, then forward. A portal-like object opposite from the computer began to glow. There was a flash of light.


	21. Circuitry

**CHAPTER TWENTY ONE**

As I opened my eyes and saw nothing but a glowing blue color, I knew we were in for something interesting. I sat up and looked down at myself. I wore a dark gray jumpsuit with light blue circuitry. The sleeves were three-quarter with the shoulders cut out. My jumpsuit ended at mid-thigh and I wore tall boots that came up to that, leaving an inch of exposed skin. The cords on my arms remained there, but they glowed blue. My hair was gray, and my waterfall braid had circuit patterns woven through it. I traced a glowing blue chain headpiece across my forehead, made out of little hearts connected together. My skin was a tinted light blue. I looked over next to me and saw Sora laying there, dressed in similar dark gray armor and glowing blue circuitry.

"Sora." I said, shaking him.

He stirred and got up on to his hands and knees. We stood up and looked around. Sora was surprised to see the way that I looked and he examined himself.

"Sora! Hallie!" we heard Donald cry.

We turned to see Donald and Goofy walking towards us with their arms up in the air. They were surrounded by Stafer Heartless.

"Go on, show 'em who's boss!" Sora said.

We stepped forward, but there was a flash of light next to us and a man in light grey armor with glowing red circuitry stood in front of us.

"Who are you?" I said.

"I am Commander Sark." the man said.

"A Heartless commander?" Sora said, cracking a smile.

"Observe."

Sark pressed a button and electrocuted Donald and Goofy. Their circuitry shifted from red to yellow.

"Sora!" I cried, shoving him.

"Sorry!" he said. "Okay, you're the boss! I get it."

Sark looked at us and smirked.

* * *

><p>Sark and the Strafers locked us in a cell with a strange machine. We looked out the window and saw nothing but multicolored blocks lined up.<p>

"Man, what kind of world is this, anyway?" Sora said, crossing his arms. Donald and Goofy shook their heads.

"You're inside a mainframe computer system." a voice said.

We turned to see a man sitting against the wall. He had dark gray armor with glowing blue circuit patterns like us.

"A what system?" Sora said.

"A computer system- for processing data. This system is a copy of one created by a corporation called ENCOM. The original program was destroyed." the man stood up. "But this copy was acquired by another User. The new User updated and customized the programs, renaming the system "Hollow Bastion OS." He used the system for town maintenance, and to advance his private research. My name is Tron. I'm a security program. But now I'm under arrest, same as you."

"Did you guys get any of that?" Sora said. Donald and Goofy thought to themselves.

I sighed and shook my head.

"I'm Hallie." I said. "This is Sora, Donald, and Goofy."

"With that configuration, you must be Users." Tron said, studying us.

"Users?" Sora said.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked totally discombobulated.

"You'd better get out of here quickly." Tron said. "Who knows what the MCP will do to you?"

"MCP?" Sora said.

"The Master Control Program. It controls the whole system."

"Sora, you are hopeless." I said, shaking my head.

"Do YOU have any idea what he's talking about?" Sora said.

"More than you do."

Sora sighed.

"If you idle here, you will be de-rezzed." Tron said.

"De-rezzed?!" Donald cried.

"So, how do we get out of here?!" Sora said.

Tron crossed his arms and thought to himself. He turned and walked to the mechanism behind him.

"This terminal could've gotten you back to the User world." Tron said.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at Tron with hopeful expressions.

"But the MCP cut the power 50 microcycles ago."

The hopefulness drooped.

"Is there anyway that we could turn the power back on?" I said.

"If we could bring the energy core in the canyon online, we could power it back up." Tron said. "The problem is- we're stuck in this cell. We're not going anywhere unless we unlock the energy field."

I examined the energy field and I noticed a blinking keyhole in the center of the door.

_Unlock._

I looked at Sora and he nodded. We summoned our Keyblades. I walked up to the energy field and hit it with Chaos Ripper. Black clusters of data flew out of the energy field and absorbed into my Keyblade. Sora did the same thing. When we had enough, we pointed out Keyblades at the field. Beams shot into the keyhole and the energy field disappeared.

"Remarkable..." Tron said. "It seems you have some unique functions."

Sora crossed his arms.

"That's a compliment." I whispered.

"I'll go with you to the canyon." Tron said. "You'll need someone who can interface with the energy cord, right?"

"If you say so..." Sora said. "Thanks, Tron."

* * *

><p>We arrived at the energy core and began to access the computer. At the top of the core, there were glowing purple blocks inserted into slots, but one was empty.<p>

"This is the energy core." Tron said. "We need to find the real part in order to power it up."

Suddenly, boxes identical to the ones in the energy core appeared and circled around the room. I watched one of them that had glowing red circuitry.

"That one!" I said, after the boxes began to move around the room.

I ran to the piece and struck it with my Keyblade. It lit up. Using my Keyblade, I lifted up the part and brought it into the empty slot. The energy core lit up and spun down into the canyon. The circuits on the ground lit up.

"Mission accomplished?" Sora said.

"Yes. Now... will you do something for me?" Tron said.

"You got it!" Sora said.

"Don't you want to hear what it is first?"

"You helped us! Now it's our turn." Donald said.

"You guys really are Users." Tron said. "Your actions are totally illogical. Let's head back to the pit cell."

Sora crossed his arms. "Where's that again?"

"That's the sector where we met."

* * *

><p>Back at the pit cell, the terminal was up and running. Tron typed away.<p>

"So what is it you need us to do?" I asked.

"Find my User. He'll give you the password to access the DTD." Tron said.

"You bet!" Donald said.

"So, um..." Sora said, crossing his arms.

"DTD is the name my User gave to the dataspace." Tron said. "Copies of all the original system programs are stored there, along with anything that's sensitive or restricted."

"Is there stuff about the Heartless, or Organization XIII?" Goofy said.

"Hmm... Most likely." Tron turned around and tinkered with the terminal some more. "A number of my functions were appropriated when I last took on the MCP. That's why I need the password. If I can get inside the DTD, I can access my original backup program and restore all my functions. Then, I'll be able to put this system back the way it was before the MCP got control and changed everything. The way it was supposed to be- a free system for you- the Users."

"Gee, Tron, ain't the MCP one of those programs, too?" Goofy said. "Do ya know who it was that made it?"

"Actually... I don't know."

"Okay, we'll just have to find your user and ask him. What's his name?" Sora said.

"You mean you don't know?" Tron said. He chuckled. "My User is the user of this system: Ansem the Wise."

"Ansem?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy cried. They looked at each other.

"Guys, I-" I said.

The terminal began wigging out.

"Looks like the MCP's on to us." Tron said. "I'll keep this terminal up and running. You better exit this system, now!"

"Sure... But Tron... Ansem is..." Sora said.

"We'll get you the password!" I cried.

"Okay, you're good to go." Tron said. "Hurry!"

We stepped forward and were surrounded by columns of light.

* * *

><p>We returned to Ansem's computer room, where Leon stared at us completely dumbfounded. We looked at each other and smiled.<p>

"We did it!" Donald cried.

"Where have you been?" Leon said.

"Inside the computer." I said. "There's a completely different kind of world in there."

"Yeah. Where these, um... programs live, and..." Sora said.

We explained to him about what Tron told us about the DTD.

"So, in other words... Ansem's research data is off-limits unless we know the password." Leon said.

"In a nutshell, yes." I said.

"But you've already defeated Ansem..."

"Well, actually, I don't-"

"Gawrsh, maybe we'll never find the password." Goofy said.

"That means... this is all a wild goose chase." Leon said.

Leon sighed.

"You're chasing what, now?" a voice said.

The girl dressed in black, Tifa, stood at the doorway.

"Well, well! A hidden room!" she said. "Guess I'd better take another look around."

We followed Tifa into the office study, where we watched her tear the room apart even more.

"She just won't give up..." Sora said, putting his hands behind his head.

"What is she looking for, anyways?" I said.

"Beats me..."

"C'mon, we've gotta look for that password!" Goofy said.

"Right. We made a promise to Tron."

* * *

><p>We stood beside Tifa in front of the portrait of "Ansem".<p>

"Excuse me." Tifa said.

She walked up to the painting, rubbed her gloved hands together, and lifted it up and set it against the wall. Strange purple markings stained the walls. Tifa looked at the wall for a moment before punching it. Nothing happened except a layer of disturbed dust falling over her. She sighed in defeat and walked out of the room.

Sora crossed his arms and stared at the markings. "What's this doodle?" he said.

"Hollow... Main... Security... Tron..." Donald said. "Door to..."

"Looks like a diagram of somethin'." Goofy said.

"Door... to... Darkness?"

"OH!" Sora cried. "D- T- D!"

"What's up?" Leon said as he walked into the room.

"Look at this! This must be the dataspace!" Sora said. "The DTD. See? The Door to Darkness!"

Leon walked up to the diagram and examined it.

"What do you know." he said. "But... that still leaves the password."

"Say, fellas, did somebody mention the Door to Darkness?" a voice said.

We turned around, and Sora, Donald, and Goofy jumped. Standing at the door was a mouse dressed in a black Organization coat.

"Your Majesty!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy cried.

Mickey raised a finger to his lips and closed the door behind him. When he turned around, Donald ran up and tackled him with a hug. Goofy chortled and lifted the two up into a group hug.

"This is Mickey?" I said.

"Yeah!" Sora said. "Long time no see!"

"Shh!" Mickey said. "The Organization might be listening!"

Sora nodded and put his finger to his lips. Goofy set Donald and Mickey down. Mickey looked around the room.

"You mentioned the Door to Darkness?" Mickey said.

"Uh, yes, sir!" Goofy said as he and Donald stood at attention. "Ya see, we're lookin' for the secret password."

"Password?" Mickey said. "Oh, I guess you mean like a code! Well, the Door to Darkness can only be opened by the seven princesses. There's Snow White, Jasmine, and Belle..."

"Of course." Leon said. He walked down the hallway to the computer room.

"What're you tryin' to do?" Mickey said.

"With that password, we can get access to Ansem's research data." Sora said.

"So that means you might be able to find out where he is!"

"Stop jokin' around, Your Majesty. We already defeated Ansem. You know that." Sora laughed.

"Sora, that's what I-" I said.

"Looks like I've got a lot of explainin' to do." Mickey said.

I grumbled.

"We're listening, Your Majesty!" Donald said.

"Okay... but first, I've got a question..." Sora said.

"Yeah, and I've got a couple thousand." I said.

"Hey, isn't Tron waiting for you guys?" Leon said.

The three boys looked between Mickey and Leon.

"Don't worry. I'm not goin' anywhere." Mickey said. "If those Heartless attack, I'll stand and fight with everybody here."

"Yeah, we will, too." Sora said.

"Then we'll talk some more later."

"That's a promise!" Donald said.

"I'll see ya when you get back." Mickey said. He turned his eyes to me. "I've got a lot to talk to you about, Hallie."

I flinched. Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at me.

"Um... okay." I said.


	22. Let the Games Begin

**CHAPTER TWENTY TWO**

We arrived at the pit cell, but Tron wasn't around anywhere.

"Gawrsh, I wonder where Tron is." Goofy said as he walked up to the computer.

"Don't touch that!" Donald cried.

"Huh?"

The terminal began to wig out again.

"Goofy!" Sora said.

"Uh... I didn't do it!" Goofy cried.

Suddenly, we were whisked away in columns of light.

* * *

><p>The columns transported us to a large grid area.<p>

"I didn't touch nothin'!" Goofy said.

"Where are we?" I said.

"Welcome to the game grid." Sark's voice echoed in the room.

"Game grid?" Sora said.

"That's right, you've been chosen to play a few games. Lose, and you will be subject to immediate de-resolution. Win? Well..." Sark chuckled. "No one wins."

"We're not gonna play your games!" Donald said.

"You have no choice."

"Well, then get on with it!" Sora said.

Suddenly, a large motorcycle-like vehicle with glowing blue circuitry appeared in front of us.

"Are we supposed to get on this thing?" I said.

"I think so." Sora said, climbing onto the light cycle. He twisted one of the handles and the engine revved up. "Let's do this together."

"Together? I'm not sure I want to-" Sora grabbed my arm and pulled me onto the light cycle behind him. "Oh, uh, okay then..."

"Let the games begin." Sark said.

"You might want to hold on to something." Sora said.

"Uh..."

I wrapped my arms around his waist and the light cycle sped forward. As we moved, walls appeared alongside us. Red, blue, and green Magnum Loaders cruised alongside us.

"Uh, Sora?" I said.

One Magnum Loader covered himself in a green shield and rammed into us. The light cycle lurched to the side and crashed into the wall.

"Hey, that's not nice!" Sora said.

"Nice doesn't cut it here." I said, fixing my hair.

I summoned Chaos Ripper and threw it at a Magnum Loader. It sliced through it and the Heartless crashed into the wall. After the Heartless were defeated, we came to a stop and got off the light cycle. A Devastator appeared and shot an electron ball at us. We jumped out of the way. The electron ball crashed into the wall and created a large hole.

"Alright! It looks like we can escape through there!" Sora said.

We climbed onto the light cycle again and zoomed forward towards the hole. Suddenly, the walls shifted to the right at the last second.

"Turn. TURN!" I cried.

Sora swerved to the right. Yellow Magnum Loaders approached us. One rammed into us and we crashed into the wall.

"Okay, I'm getting real tired of you guys!" I said. "This'll only take a minute."

I steadied myself and stood up on the back of the light cycle.

"Hallie, what are you doing?!" Sora said.

"I'm playing the games my way." I said.

I summoned Chaos Ripper and jumped forward. I landed on a Magnum Loader and stabbed it in the chest. As it cut to the left and into a wall, I backflipped onto another Magnum Loader. I positioned myself on its shoulders.

"FORE!" I cried.

I swung my Keyblade like a golf club and smacked it into the Heartless's head, wiping it clean off. Sparks sputters from the damaged wires poking from its neck.

"Uh oh-"

The Heartless exploded, wiping out the others. I flew back from the impact. Sora reached out his hand and grabbed mine. I used the momentum to swing myself back onto the light cycle.

"See? Piece of cake." I said, holding onto him once more.

As we approached the hole, two Devastators appeared at the sides. They shot multiple electron balls at us. We screamed and Sora revved up the light cycle and shot us forward past the Devastators and into the hole.

* * *

><p>We were taken back to the pit cell and we all sighed in relief. We looked and saw Tron laying there on the ground.<p>

"Tron!" Sora said.

Tron slowly stood up and stumbled back a little.

"I don't understand. Why are you here?" Tron said.

"We came to give you the password." Sora said.

"Why didn't you just transmit the data?" Tron said, burying his face in his hand and shaking his head.

"Transmit?" Donald said.

Tron fell forward and Sora caught him.

"Tron, what's wrong?" I said. "Are you okay?"

"I'll be all right... once we access the DTD." Tron said.

* * *

><p>We ran to the Dataspace, which was a single platform among bright green walls. Tron approached the computer.<p>

"All right, what's the password?" Tron said.

"Well..." Donald said. "Belle, Snow White..."

"Aurora, Alice, Jasmine, Cinderella..." Goofy said.

"Kairi." Sora and I said. We looked at each other in surprise.

Tron typed in each of the names and the computer came to life.

"That did it!" Tron said.

Alarms filled the air.

"Now switching DTD over from hibernation to active mode. This process will take some time. Please enjoy a game while the process is running."

"Oh, no!" Tron cried, typing away at the keyboard.

"Not another game!" Sora said.

"No, it's the DTD's final security routine. This isn't a game. Stay focused!"

The computer screens displayed the Heartless emblem. Strafers appeared. I slashed at one and once it disappeared, black clusters of data were absorbed into my Keyblade.

"I bet this is how we stop the monitors!" I said.

After I collected enough data, I pointed my Keyblade at a monitor. The data transferred into the monitor and it froze. Sora did the same with another one. We froze the third one together. The Heartless disappeared and it was quiet. Tron walked up to the computer. He laid his hand on the print on the keyboard and it lit up.

"I'm as good as new! All my functions have been restored!" Tron said.

"Oh boy!" Donald cried.

More alarms went off. The keyboard glowed purple and red.

"What now?!" I said.

A ray of electricity shot down in the middle of us. We all jumped back.

"Finally. I have full access to the DTD." the MCP said. "My takeover of the system is now complete. I might have anticipated such a simple password. What's this? An emergency destruct program for the town. Let's see how it performs."

"No!" I cried.

Tron placed his hand on the keyboard print again and it glowed. Tron typed away. The alarms stopped and the computer changed back to its blue color.

"Program! You changed the password!" the MCP said.

"There, that should buy us some time." Tron said.

"Tron! Tell us what's going on!" Sora said.

"The MCP's loading a hostile program into the I/O tower."

"What do we do?" Donald said.

"We've got to protect the User town." We nodded. "Let's head to the tower!"

* * *

><p>Inside the IO tower, there was a terminal inside and a single platform that glowed purple. We could see darkness seeping into it.

"It must be total chaos outside." Tron said.

"I think there's gonna be trouble INSIDE, too..." Donald said.

We saw that the terminal was on and working.

"We've got to protect the town from the MCP." I said. "They're probably right behind us."

"Then let's go de-rezz some Heartless." Sora said, summoning Kingdom Key.

* * *

><p>We ran into the IO Tower room, where a Hostile Program came down from the ceiling and loomed over us.

"I'm disappointed in you, program." the MCP said. "Why do you insist on allying with these selfish Users?"

"Because I want to help them." Tron said. "Something written into my code commands me to do what is right."

"Really? And what command would that be?"

Tron shrugged. "I can't really say for sure."

"Friends- they help each other, that's all." Sora said.

"And no matter what, they stand together." I said. "Friends don't give up on friends."

"Uh-oh- look out!"

The Hostile Program shot lasers from its spikes, creating a crystal blue barrier around the room. I summoned Chaos Ripper. As we attacked, clusters of data fell from the Hostile Program. When we gathered enough data, we froze the Heartless and attacked it. The Hostile Program crashed to the ground and began to glow. We covered our eyes from the light and it exploded.

* * *

><p>We returned to the Communications Room and the purple platform now had a pillar of light coming from it. Tron went to the terminal and typed on the keyboard.<p>

"I really owe you one. With all my functions up and running, I think I've got a chance of getting system control away from the MCP." Tron said. "Now I'd better get to work. It's what my User would want."

"What Ansem would want..." Sora said. He glanced at Donald and Goofy. "Listen, Tron. We didn't get the password from Ansem. We just sort of found it, back in the User world. By accident... And one more thing... Ansem- he was our enemy. I mean... he still is... I guess."

"Well, actually, he's my enemy, too." Tron said.

"What do you mean?"

"Ansem took ENCOM's original system and customized it for his own use. I was part of the original system, and Ansem modified me, too. So that makes him my User. But Ansem is also the one who brought back the MCP. The Ansem I first knew wouldn't do that. I'm sorry I didn't tell you that."

I crossed my arms and stared at the ground with a scowl.

_So this Ansem guy first customized ENCOM and created Tron. Good. __But then he brought back a dangerous system? Bad. This doesn't make sense... unless it was two different people...?_

"That's okay... but now I REALLY don't get it." Sora said.

"I don't... understand it either." Tron said. "But I think Users, like you, are going to be the ones who will finally figure it out. You have the ability to take illogical routes and still arrive at the answers you seek. Now go- before the MCP starts acting up again! Any data you need from the DTD can be accessed directly through my User's terminal."

"User terminal?" Sora said.

"Ansem's computer." I said.

"I'll keep a dedicated access channel open for you. I changed the password, so you won't have to worry about the MCP for a while." Tron said.

"Access channel?" Sora said. I rolled my eyes.

"I knew you'd ask. It's a very important link between our worlds. It's how we stay connected." Tron said. Data pillars appeared around us. "You... my friends... are the new password."

"Thanks, Tron! Take care!"

"You too! And give my best to the Users!"

The data pillars filled with light.

* * *

><p>We arrived back into Ansem's computer room.<p>

"Well, that's that!" Sora said.

Leon pointed at the computer with a smile. "Look." he said.

Dancing on the computer were 8-bit version of ourselves with a message below that read "THANK YOU!"

"That's sweet." I giggled.

"Tron... hang in there." Sora said.

"So, where do we start?" Leon said.

"I know! Let's access the DTD!"

Leon typed on the keyboard.

"The King's checking the situation in town. He'll be back soon, so don't worry." Leon said. "Hey, look, it's asking for a password."

"That's easy. It's..." Goofy said.

"Sora!" Sora cried.

"Donald!" Donald cried.

"Goofy!" Goofy said.

"Hallie!" I said.

"That's... to the point." Leon said.

"Well?" Sora said.

"That did it. We're in." Leon turned to Sora. "I have to go into town. Need to see what that last shakeup did."

"You're not gonna check out the data? It wasn't exactly easy to get!" Sora said.

"I'm coming right back. Hey, Sora- why don't you get started on loading the data and copying it down?"

Sora gave Leon an expression of "Do I have to?"

"It's just a few keystrokes. Easy, right?" He patted Sora on the shoulder and left the room.

We stood in front of the computer.

"Did it work?" Donald said.

"Hey, these things take time, okay?!" Sora said.

Sora typed a few keys.

"Whoa... It's doing something!" he cried in astonishment.

"I think it wants to know what we wanna know." Goofy said.

"Riku and Kairi!" Sora typed away on the keyboard.

A red window popped up that read "DATA ERROR".

"No way... Even Ansem's computer doesn't even know..." Sora said, sulking away.

"Hmm..." I said. I stepped up to the computer and typed in some words.

"Whatcha doing?" Donald said.

"Maybe the computer knows something about Nobodies." I said.

As I typed, the three boys looked over my shoulder. A report popped up with a strange emblem in the background.

"What's this?" Sora said.

Another DATA ERROR window popped up.

"The data is corrupt." an electronic voice said.

"WHA-?!" Donald squawked.

"How about the Organization?" Goofy said.

I typed some more keys in. "There!" I said.

A loading screen came up, along with another DATA ERROR window.

"The data is corrupt."

"Stupid computer!" Sora cried.

He slammed his hands against the computer. Windows of different colors appeared on the screen upside down and all funky-like.

"Sora!" I said.

There was a beep, and suddenly a picture of a man with long blond hair wearing a thick red scarf appeared.

_Huh? __Ansem?_

"Who's this guy?" Sora said.

"Welp, I see ya got things workin' out!" a familiar high-pitched voice said.

"Oh, Your Majesty!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy cried.

Mickey brought his finger to his lips and walked over to us.

"Good goin'. The computer should tell us the things we need to know." Mickey said.

"But it keeps on sayin' the data inside's all ker-skuffled." Goofy said.

"Corrupted." I corrected him.

"All we got is a picture of some guy we don't know." Sora said, pointing to the man's picture.

Mickey looked at the picture and jumped up in the air.

"Ansem the Wise!" he cried.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other.

"Come on, are you teasing us again?" Sora said.

"Did you forget what Ansem looked like, Your Majesty?" Donald said.

"Of course I do!" Mickey said. "And this is him! I'm positive!"

"HUH?"

Sora grabbed Mickey's arm and began dragging him away down the hallway.

"Excuse me? Could you come this way, please?" Sora said.

"Wait, Sora-!" I said.

But the three boys and the King were already going around the corner. I growled and followed them.


	23. A Ticking Bomb

**CHAPTER TWENTY THREE**

We stood in the study looking at the large portrait of "Ansem".

"Look, THIS is Ansem." Sora said. "You know, the guy we all worked reeeally hard to defeat?"

"Oh, that's right- I never finished explaining." Mickey said.

"Wha-?" Donald squawked.

"Well, the man in the picture is definitely the one who tried to take over Kingdom Hearts- the one you fellas defeated." Mickey said. "But, what you actually fought was his Heartless. Ya see, he wasn't really Ansem. He just went around telling everyone that he was."

"You mean..." Sora said.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy looked at each other.

"WHAAAAT?!" they all cried.

"We went through all that trouble to defeat an imposter?!" Sora said.

"Yep. A fake. But he still had to be stopped." Mickey said.

"That's what I've been trying to tell you guys!" I said, stomping my foot.

"Wait, you KNEW that this wasn't the Ansem we fought before?" Sora said. "How?"

I looked at the portrait. "I... I don't know." I said. "But when you said his name, it just didn't seem right to me. And then I saw the picture of the man on the computer, and the name Ansem came into my head. But still... this man looks familiar to me."

"Really? Do you know him?

"I don't know. Erased memory, remember?"

Mickey stared at me and I could see puzzle pieces fitting together behind his eyes.

"Aw, I can't believe it..." Donald said, crossing his arms.

"Uh, I'm kinda confused. If he's a fake, then what happened to the real Ansem?" Goofy said.

"Welp, that's just what I'm tryin' to figure out." Mickey said. "Ansem the Wise should know all about Organization XIII's plans, and what's been happening to the worlds. I'm pretty sure he'll give us some help. Ya know, I came close to finding him once..."

"Hmm..." Goofy said.

"Don't tell me there's more?" Sora said. "I'm lost enough as it is!"

"Well, let's see. Some feller named Ansem, who wasn't really Ansem, became a Heartless. Does that mean a Nobody got created when that happened, too?"

"Yup!" Mickey said. "And that Nobody is the leader of the Organization."

"WHAT?!" Sora, Donald, and Goofy cried.

"I know I've met this fake Ansem before, and I've seen the leader of Organization XIII, too. Hmm, kinda felt like bein' around the same fella."

"So, where did you meet this guy?" Sora said.

"Gosh... I can't remember. Ansem the Wise- the real Ansem- must know the imposter's true identity. That's why I've got to find him and ask him about it."

"You... you started all of this!" Sora said to the painting. "Because of you, Riku and Kairi... Oh! Your Majesty, do you know where Riku is?"

Mickey jumped. "He's... I'm sorry. I can't help."

"Really, Your Majesty? Are you sure?"

"I'm sorry, Sora."

"What about Kairi? Organization XIII might've kidnapped her."

"Oh, no!" Mickey cried.

I crossed my arms and looked at the painting.

"Why aren't you fazed by all of this?" Sora said.

"I... I don't know! These faces, these names... they're so familiar, but I don't know WHY they are!" I knocked the sides of my head with my hands. "What you're talking about... I already know this! Sometimes you tell me information, and my brain somehow reacts with its own knowledge. I even questioned Yen Sid's wisdom!"

I clenched my fists and scowled.

"This... Kingdom Hearts that everyone is after- the Organization, Maleficent, Ansem, and every other gosh darn person in the world- it would destroy all of you in the blink of an eye! Your plans to gain control of it are ludicrous and pointless! You aren't fit for its power! None of you deserve it!"

I looked up and I could see the fear in everyone's eyes, but they weren't looking at me. I traced their eyes and gasped at my right arm. The leather cords on my arm pulsated with darkness. A pool of darkness bubbled at my feet and coils of darkness rose up in the air. The darkness collected together above me.

_Is this... coming from me?_

The darkness caused the room to rumble and my friends shielded themselves from the power. It exploded and dispersed into the walls, followed by eerie silence. The eyes of my friends reflected the three worst emotions: Doubt. Confusion. Fear. My lungs burned from lack of breath. I let it out in a choked exhale, and I ran out of the room.

"Hallie, wait!" I heard Sora call.

* * *

><p>As I ran down the corridors, I heard a voice.<p>

"Hear me, my Heartless!" a female voice boomed. "Attack the white husks! Sweep them away!"

I peeked my head around the corner and saw Maleficent and Pete. Looking past them, I could see Heartless and Nobodies clashing together in a battle.

"They're... fighting?" I said to myself. "But why?"

"What, are you nuts? We're never gonna win!" Pete cried. "I don't know about you, but I'm outta here, sister!"

He came ran down the hall towards me. I gasped and pressed my back against the wall. Pete ran right past me, not even acknowledging my presence.

_Typical Pete..._

"Pathetic coward..." Maleficent said.

Some of the Dusks stared at Maleficent. She scowled, then turned her head. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran in, striking their battle stances. Maleficent scoffed and disappeared in a blaze of green fire.

"Heartless! Leave the white ones. Turn your attention to Sora and his friends!" Maleficent said.

"Uh oh!" Goofy cried.

The Armored Knights and the Dusks turned to the three boys and approached them.

"Where's Hallie?" Sora said.

"Maybe she left already." Goofy said.

Something tugged in my heart, urging me to go and help them. But it wasn't because I felt like I had to. No... I _wanted_ to protect them. I _needed_ to protect them. They're my friends...

But the urge wasn't strong enough. I watched Sora, Donald, and Goofy lay waste to the Nobodies and Heartless.

_I guess they didn't need my help after all..._

As Sora looked around the room, his eyes fell on me.

"Hallie!" he cried.

I gulped and ran.

"Wait!"

* * *

><p>I ran across the postern with the three boys right behind me. Suddenly, a column of light crashed down in between us and we were sent back. The light subsided, revealing a man with long silver hair, black clothing, and a dark angel wing on his back. He turned around towards Sora, Donald, and Goofy.<p>

"Sora, it's Sephiroth!" Donald said.

"Ain't Sephiroth the one who's supposed to be the dark part of Cloud's heart?" Goofy said.

Sephiroth chuckled. "Did Cloud tell you that? Then he must understand now."

"Just what are you gonna do to him?" Sora said.

"Nothing. Cloud is the one who hungers for Darkness."

"He said he's got a score to settle with you."

"I see... He wants to meet me again." Sephiroth turned towards me and I gulped. "Then I should give him what he wants. That last bit of light is always the hardest to snuff out."

My gaze followed Sephiroth as he rose up in the air and disappeared in a ball of darkness.

"Hallie!"

I turned around, but I felt a hand seize mine.

"Hallie, stop running!" Sora said.

"Let me go." I said.

"No."

"You saw what I did! That darkness came from _me_. What if I used it against you? What if I hurt you guys? I'm nothing but a monster!"

"Hallie..."

I looked up at Sora. The look of complete serenity on his face baffled me.

"Why are you so calm about this? I'm a ticking bomb." I said. I tugged my arm in a failed attempt to break free. "Let me go, Sora. You're strong enough to handle this without me. Just let me go and forget about me!"

"No." Sora's hand tightened around mine. "Never. You know why? Because you're my friend."

I looked away and sighed.

"You're just confused: about the Organization, about the Heartless, and about yourself." Sora said. "But no matter how much you try to push me or Donald or Goofy or anyone away, it won't work. We're with you until the end. Friends don't give up on friends, remember?"

I looked up and a lump formed in my throat at the sight of those deep blue eyes. Sora examined my face for a few moments before his softened into a smile. He pulled on my arm and enveloped me in a hug. It surprised me at first, but the dam holding back my tears broke and I returned the embrace, squeezing his torso tightly.

"I'm scared." I said, loathing this sense of vulnerability.

"Sometimes we all need to cry. Even the most fearless warriors get scared sometimes. And that's okay. You're safe here." Sora said. "It's moments like this that help us become stronger."

I pulled away and stepped back.

"Hollow Bastion is in trouble. We need to stick together to protect it." Sora said.

I looked at him in disbelief.

_Hollow Bastion? In trouble? No... not on my watch._

I looked at Sora, Donald, and Goofy. They each smiled brightly at me. The happiness was contagious and I smiled back. I nodded and summoned Chaos Ripper.

"Yes. Together." I said.

* * *

><p>We ran down to the town and saw Leon and Aerith fighting Armored Knights.<p>

"We'll help out!" Sora said.

"Sora! Behind you!" Aerith cried.

We turned around and Dancers and Creepers appeared. We attacked them.

"The King's in the bailey. You'd better head over there!" Leon called.

"Got it!" Sora said.

But there was no bailey to head over to. The area was completely destroyed. We ran to the edge of the debris and looked over the view.

"Whoa..." Sora said.

"Oh... my..." I whispered.

A tsunami of Armored Knights and Surveillance Robots marched along the path below us. And they were heading right for us. We could see among the calamity our friends fighting against the Heartless: Yuffie, Aerith, Leon, Cloud, Tifa, the blue alien Stitch, and even the three fairies that I still don't know the names of.

"I've never seen so many Heartless!" I said.

"Leon, everybody- hang in there!" Sora said.

We ran forward, but where stopped when King Mickey jumped down in front of us.

"Okay, fellas, you've gotta go find Riku and Kairi!" Mickey said.

"But Leon and the others are friends, too!" Sora said.

"Don't worry. There's already lotsa help here. We'll take care of this fight."

"Did you not see all the Heartless out there? We want to help you!" I said.

"I... promised Leon!" Sora said.

"Donald! Goofy! Hallie!" Mickey said, at which the two boys stood at attention at the sound of their names. "Take Sora and get goin'!"

"Riku, Kairi... give me a little time, okay?" Sora said to himself.

Donald and Goofy looked at each other. They looked at me and nodded. I gave them a little smile and nodded.

"Your Majesty!" Donald said.

"We understand. We'll go search for Riku and Kairi!" Goofy said.

"Right! Watch for danger!" Mickey said.

"You be careful, too!" Donald said.

"Keep on fighting those Heartless!" I said.

Sora turned to us with a look of betrayal. "Wait, you guys!" he said.

"Sora, do as you're told!" Donald said.

"You're comin' with us whether ya want to or not!" Goofy said.

"No backtalk!" I said.

"C'mon, Sora! Ya gotta be good!" Donald said.

He gave Sora a wink. Sora smiled.

"Gotcha." he said.

"Well then, skedaddle!" Goofy said.

"Come on, vamoose! We've got some friends to find!" I said.

"Thank you." Sora mouthed.

"Let's go!" Donald said.

We ran past Mickey and jumped down the ledge. We looked back at him.

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty." Sora said and jumped over another ledge.

Donald and Goofy saluted.

"Hope you can forgive us!" Goofy said.

They jumped over the ledge.

"Hallie. Stop." Mickey walked over to me.

"I'm sorry, Mickey, but once you get those three going, I don't think there's any chance of stopping them." I said.

"I know. I need to talk to you."

I turned to Mickey. "About what? Me?"

"Yes. I know Master Yen Sid spoke with you when you first began your journey. I've been looking for you ever since you disappeared."

"Disappeared?" I paused and remembered my time in that abyss of nothing. "How long have you looked for me?"

"Hm... I'm guessing around ten or eleven years."

"What?!" I've been missing for _ten years_? Did I spend all that time in darkness?

"There's something you need to know, Hallie. I may be repeating Yen Sid in some things, but that just means how important it is. You have a very intense role in Sora's life; In everyone's life, as a matter of fact. You are destined to be one of the seven guardians of light, but it's you alone who determines whether that truly comes to pass. This battle is just the beginning of what's to come. You need to be prepared. You need to rely on your friends." Mickey said.

I stared at my clasped hands. _One of the seven guardians of light? Why do I feel like I already know this? It's like Yen Sid all over again..._

Mickey walked over and placed his hand over mine. "People are counting on you, Hallie. Callum's counting on you."

My head snapped up. I wrenched my hands from Mickey's and I backed away. "How... how do you know of Callum?" I took another step and the ground disappeared. I cried out as I tumbled over the edge. I kicked my feet against the rock wall, pushed myself to my feet, and landed on the ground. I crouched down as a wave of nausea washed over me.

_Even King Mickey knows about you. _I looked up to see Mickey peeking his cloaked head over the edge. I scowled, stood up, and ran down the path after my friends.

* * *

><p>As we ran over to the Castle Gates, we stopped as a portal of darkness appeared before us. Out came Demyx, the man we ran into back at Olympus Coliseum. He saw us and flinched.<p>

"Hey, you guys are looking lively." Demyx said.

"Scram!" Donald cried.

"Didn't we catch you messing around in the Underworld?" Sora said. "How'd a wimp like you get into Organization XIII?"

Demyx gasped and cowered back a little. Sora crossed his arms.

"I bet you can't even fight." he said.

"Yeah, but we can!" Donald said.

"You shouldn't judge anyone by appearance." Demyx said, shaking his finger scoldingly.

We summoned our weapons and struck our battle stances. Demyx cowered back again. He turned around and mumbled to himself.

"Ohhh... I told them they were sending the wrong guy..." he whined.

"Who is this kook?" Sora said.

"Remember, the Organization's made up of Nobodies." Goofy said.

"Right- no hearts!"

Demyx turned his upper body towards us. "Oh, we do too have hearts! Don't be mad..."

"You can't trick us!" Donald said.

"Why should we listen to someone like you?!" I said. "You and the Organization are empty shells doomed to do nothing but remember!"

Demyx turned back around for a moment. Then, he turned back around. His lips curled up into a sinister smile. He actually looked... scary. He pointed at Sora and I.

"Silence, traitors." He said, his voice low and ominous.

Sora and I looked at Demyx with baffled expressions. Water rose up from the ground around Demyx. He shot his hand up and a dome of water formed. The water morphed into a single large ball, then it burst and turned into his sitar. He grabbed it by the handle, spun it around, and stared at us with a maniacal smile.

I have to admit; Demyx is a really good fighter.

He summoned pillars of water with the strum of his sitar that blasted us all over yet didn't leave us wet. But even if he is a good fighter, we were better.

Demyx stumbled back and panted. His sitar disappeared. He cried out and fell to his knees and disappeared in a column of water.

"Anyone from the Organization who'd like to be next?!" Sora called.

"Hey, Sora! Don't antagonize them!" Donald said.

"Yeah, we gotta go help our friends out first." Goofy said.

"Oh. Sorry." Sora said, scratching the back of his head.

"Then let's go!" Donald said.

"Aha! There you are!" a voice cried.

We turned around and saw King Mickey walk towards us. He stopped in front of us with his arms crossed and scowled. We stood around sheepishly. Mickey's scowl faded and he smiled.

"You sure have lotsa friends to help." Mickey said.

We looked at him and smiled in relief.

"So, I guess we better all pull together and finish this battle for good!" Mickey said.

"Yes, Your Majesty!" we all cried, standing at attention.

As Mickey began to walk away, I heard an explosion above us. I looked up to see giant rocks from the cliff above fall towards us. One in particular headed straight for Mickey.

Goofy noticed it sooner.

"Look out!" he cried.

He shoved Mickey out of the way right as the rock smashed into his face. The impact sent him flying backwards, slamming his head into the wall.

"Goofy!" Sora cried.

We all ran to his side. He laid there limply on the ground.

"No..." Mickey whispered.

"Goofy! Wake up!" I said.

"Hey! You're the King's Captain! You gotta get up!" Donald cried, shaking him vigorously.

"C'mon, wake up!" Sora said.

"I'm sorry about the ice cream!"

"Goofy..." I whispered.

Donald squawked in despair and laid his head on Goofy's chest. "Goofy..."

"This is not happening. It can't be happening..." Sora said. "It can't..."

I clenched my fist as tears streaked down my face.

"They'll pay for this." Mickey said.

I looked up to see Mickey reach up and yank off his cloak, revealing clothing that looked similar to Sora's. Mickey summoned his Keyblade, Kingdom Key D, and took off through the Castle Gates. Donald let out a ferocious squawk and stormed off behind Mickey. Sora looked down at Goofy and clenched his fists.

"Let's go." I said.

Sora nodded and we summoned Kingdom Key and Chaos Ripper. We ran off, leaving Goofy's body behind.

* * *

><p>We charged down the Ravine Trail. Each platform had an ambush of Heartless waiting for us, but we received help from Yuffie, Leon, Tifa, and Cloud. We ran into the Crystal Fissure and reassembled with Mickey and Donald. I leaned on my Keyblade and caught my breath.<p>

"Are you guys okay?" Mickey said.

"Yeah, we're fine, but..." Sora said.

"Ohh, Goofy..." Donald said.

We all bowed our heads in silence.

"Hey, fellas!" a voice called that made everyone turned around in astonishment.

Goofy stood a ways away from us, waving with a big grin on his face.

"Goofy!" we all cried.

Goofy came running over to us.

"Ya know, that really hurt!" Goofy said, rubbing his head.

"Aw, Goofy!" Mickey cried, jumping up and hugging Goofy.

"Gawrsh, Yer Majesty, I get bumped on the head all the time."

Sora and I laughed in relief. Donald scowled and stomped over to Goofy. He took his staff and bashed it against Goofy's ankle, letting out a furious squawk. Goofy cried out and held his ankle.

"That hurt, too!" Goofy whimpered.

Donald let out a frustrated growl. "Don't you ever do that again!"

Sora sighed and we looked towards The Great Maw.

"The battle isn't over yet." I said quietly. "But we're gonna end it now."

* * *

><p>We ran into The Great Maw. We came to a skidded halt at the sight of thousands of Armored Knights and Surveillance Robots. However, they were still as statues as they stood there.<p>

"Huh?" Mickey said.

"What's with them?" Sora said.

"They look like they're... waiting for something." I said.

"Hey!" Goofy called, pointing up.

We looked and saw a portal of darkness appear at the edge of a cliff. An Organization member stood, cloaked completely in black. He reached up and removed his hood, revealing a man with tan skin, amber eyes, and long silver hair styled with spikes at the top of his head. He turned to us and grinned. My scowl turned into confused curiosity.

"It's the guy who's NOT Ansem!" Donald said.

"You mean it's his Nobody!" Goofy said.

"The leader of Organization XIII..." Sora growled.

"Wait a minute. Now I know!" Mickey cried. "Now I remember! Xehanort! Ansem's apprentice! The leader of Organization XIII is Xehanort's Nobody!"

Mickey summoned his Keyblade and charged for the member.

"Xeha... nort?" I said.

Pain flooded my brain, as if someone took all the brain shocks from Olympus Coliseum, shoved them into my head, and multiplied it by five. I screamed and clutched my head. My legs softened to jelly and I collapsed on my knees.

"Hallie!" Sora cried, answered by another blood-curdling scream.

My head pounded and my breathing turned heavy.

_"Let all that anger out... Give your heart over to darkness!"_

_"Savor that rage and despair. Let it empower you!"_

_"Let your whole heart blacken with anger!"_

_"And now it is your darkness that shall be the ark that sustains me!"_

"NOOO!" I cried.

The pain stopped abruptly. I fell back onto my butt and panted. My right arm felt numb and my body trembled.

_Finally._ a voice echoed in my mind, followed by a mischievous giggle. I gasped and scooted back in fright, but all I saw were Sora, Donald, and Goofy standing around me.

"Hallie, are you all right?" Goofy said.

"I... I think so." I mumbled groggily.

I shook my head and the three boys helped me up.

"Let's go!" Sora said.

Suddenly, the Heartless moved and surrounded us until we were in a thick sea of darkness. Sora and I summoned our Keyblades and we stared down our enemies.

"Move it!" Sora cried.

"We can't let Xehanort get away!" Donald said. A flash of pain echoed in my brain, but it felt like a gentle tap compared to what I just suffered.

Donald and Goofy gave us a thumbs up and charged towards the Heartless.

"Sora, we'll have to split up." I said.

"What? But-" Sora said.

I reached out and put a hand on his arm. "I'll be fine." I said. "But Hollow Bastion needs us."

Sora glanced at my hand then back at me. I nodded and smiled. He nodded. We turned around, Keyblades in hand, and ran into the sea of Heartless. Something familiar to what I felt back in Olympus Coliseum sparked inside of me. I slashed through Heartless after Heartless. Thoughts zoomed through my mind and I tried to shut them off to focus on what was happening before me. However, they were relentless.

_So Xehanort's Heartless and Nobody want nothing more than to gain control of Kingdom Hearts. Man, I would hate to meet the real guy..._

_Kingdom Hearts. What is it about the name that sets me off so easily?_

_Who was that boy I saw back in Twilight Town? I've never met him before... that is, I don't think I have. He looked my age. Maybe he's someone from my forgotten past. But what I felt... my heart races at the thought of him. How could a complete stranger make me feel that way?_

_That darkness... what other kinds of scary things are hidden inside me?_

It took me a while to realize that the area around me was vacant. I had laid waste to all the Heartless that were once before me. How many did I fight? It felt like a thousand. I ran through The Great Maw, where Sora, Donald, and Goofy waited for me at the end.

"How'd you manage?" Sora said.

"It was easy." I said, stretching my arms. "Where's the King?"

"There he is!" Donald cried.

We watched Mickey destroy an Armored Knight.

"C'mon!" Sora said.


	24. You Understand Nothing

**CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR**

"Your Majesty!" Donald called.

We ran up to Mickey at the cliff. Standing before him was Xehanort's Nobody.

"Xehanort!" Mickey cried.

"How long has it been since I abandoned that name..." the Organization member said.

"Out with it, Nobody! Where's Kairi? Where's Riku?!" Sora said.

"I know nothing of any Kairi. As for Riku..." Xehanort turned around. "Perhaps you should ask your king."

Sora looked to Mickey. Mickey scowled.

"Who... are you?" I said.

Xehanort looked right at me and grinned.

"It was a pleasure to see you again, Hallie."

"Huh?!" I said, stepping back.

Xehanort began to disappear into a portal of darkness.

"Stop!" Mickey cried.

He ran forward and lunged forward into the portal.

"Mickey!" I cried.

We ran forward, but the portal disappeared.

"He's gone..." Sora said.

He fell back onto his butt and slammed the ground with his fist. Goofy laid a hand on his shoulder.

"Sora, Goofy, Hallie..." Donald said.

He squawked and leaned forward. I looked and gasped. The Great Maw, which was once completely blackened by Heartless, was now empty.

"What's goin' on?" Goofy said.

"We... we did it?" I said.

"Way to fall right into their trap." a voice said.

We turned to see an Organization member with emerald eyes and spiky red hair leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. We ran forward with our weapons and struck our battle stances.

"Axel." I said. My tone sounded more curious than angry.

The man stood up and walked towards us.

"Glad to know you got that memorized." Axel said. "C'mon, it's a set-up by Organization XIII. Xemnas is using you to destroy the Heartless- that's his big master plan."

"Xemnas?" Donald said.

"The guy you just saw. He's their leader. Got it memorized? X-E-M, N-A-S."

We looked at him quizzically.

"Organization XIII wants to get rid of the Heartless?" Goofy said.

"Man, you're slow." Axel chuckled. He pointed at mine and Sora's Keyblades. "Every Heartless slain with those Keyblades releases a captive heart. That is what the Organization is after."

"So what are those guys gonna do with the hearts?" Donald said.

"I'm not telling."

"Tell us!"

Something in Sora's mind clicked and his grip on his Keyblade tightened. "_You_... you're the one who kidnapped Kairi!" he said.

"Bingo. The girl's right. The name's Axel. Got it memorized?" Axel said.

"Where _is_ Kairi?"

Axel's face fell and he scratched his temple.

"Please. Just tell me!" Sora pleaded.

Axel placed his hands on his hips and sighed. "Look, about Kairi... I'm sorry."

"But you're a member of the Organization, too. Why are you telling us all of this? Why are you rebelling against the Organization?" Axel's cool composure faltered. "What are you really after?"

"Axel!" another voice said.

Saix appeared in front of us.

"Uh-oh!" Axel cried.

He disappeared in a portal of darkness. Sora ran forward, but Saix reached his arm out and blocked Sora's path.

"We'll ensure he receives the maximum punishment." Saix said.

"I don't care about any of that! Just let me into the realm of darkness, okay?!" Sora said.

"If it's Kairi you're worried about, don't. We're taking very good care of her."

"Take me to her."

"Is she that important to you?"

"Yeah. More than anything."

"Show me how important."

Sora stood there for a moment, bowing his head. Then, slowly, he got down on his hands and knees.

"Please." Sora said.

"So, you really do care for her." Saix said.

"Sora..." I said.

"In that case- the answer is no."

Sora jumped back with a ferocious scowl. "You rotten...!"

"Are you angry? Do you hate me?" Saix said. "Then take that rage, and direct it at the Heartless."

Saix snapped his fingers and Armored Knights appeared. He raised his hands and tilted his head up to the sky.

"Pitiful Heartless, mindlessly collecting hearts. And yet they know not the true power of what they hold. The rage of the Keyblade releases those hearts. They gather in darkness, masterless and free..." Saix said.

"Until you come along and take them. Then you'll finally be able to create your precious little Kingdom Hearts." I hissed.

"Correct, child." Saix said. "And when that time comes, we can truly, finally exist."

"What in the world do you think you're prattling on about?" a female voice said.

A pillar of green fire ignited behind us and Maleficent appeared.

"Kingdom Hearts belong to me!" she said. "The heart of all kingdoms, the heart of all that lives. A dominion fit to be called Kingdom Hearts must be MY dominion!"

"STOP IT! BOTH OF YOU!" I yelled. "You feckless neophytes! Your pitiful lusts SICKEN me! None of you know what you are up against! Kingdom Hearts is not something you can just take. Only the best can wield its power and wisdom!"

Saix stared at me with an unreadable grin.

"You were raised well. You are smarter than I thought you were." Saix said. "However, you understand nothing at all..."

I growled and gripped Chaos Ripper.

"Ah, ah, ah..." Saix said. "You should consider being nice to me. Don't you wish to know the whereabouts of Callum?"

My heart stopped and I almost dropped my Keyblade. Why does he know Callum? Why does _everyone_ know about him?

"Hallie...?" Sora said.

I screamed in frustration and charged towards Saix. He disappeared into a portal of darkness, taking me along with him.

"HALLIE!" Sora, Donald and Goofy cried as the portal disappeared.

* * *

><p>I woke up in a large purple prison cell. I jumped to my feet and ran to the barred window.<p>

"Get me out of here!" I cried.

A portal of darkness appeared on the other side of the cell. Saix emerged from the portal and smirked.

"Hello again." he said. "I trust you're comfy?"

"How do you know Callum?" I said. "How do you know about me? What are you people?!"

"It's just as I stated before..." Saix said as he disappeared into a portal of darkness. "You understand nothing."

"Wait!"

I sighed and slumped down onto the ground.

"What am I going to do?" I mumbled into my hands.

I don't know how long I sat there- seconds, minutes, hours- until I heard a strange warping sound. I turned around and saw a portal of darkness churning on the wall. A person, cloaked in black, stood in the portal. He appeared much younger compared to the other members I've seen.

"Who are you?" I said, slowly standing up.

My fingers twitched, ready to summon my Keyblade. The boy reached out his hand to me. I slowly walked towards the boy. I gazed into the black hole of his cloak where his face. His hand remained patiently stretched out. I reached up and took his hand. The boy wrapped his fingers around my hand gently and pulled me into the portal.

* * *

><p>I didn't know where the muted boy led me to, but I didn't bother to ask. All I could see were gray and white colors and patterns along the floors, the walls, everything. It was a strange relief when black and dark blue came in and flushed out the white and gray. I turned around and gasped when I saw we were standing next to a cliff. Above us, a giant white castle loomed over us that sent chills up my spine. I turned to the cloaked boy.<p>

"Thank you, whoever you are." I said. "Are you a member of Organization XIII?"

The faceless black cloak gaped at me.

"Are you... Roxas?"

More silence. The boy placed his hands on his hips and sighed. I scowled.

"Who are you?!" I said, clenching my fists. I summoned Chaos Ripper and pointed it at the boy. "Answer me!"

"I'm disappointed." the boy said. His voice sent a wave of frisson through my body. "After all this time, you've forgotten about me."

The boy reached up and took off his hood. He had short, messy brown hair with some resting on his forehead. Amusement twinkled in his amber eyes. He smiled at me.

Chaos Ripper fell out of my hand. It landed on the ground with a loud clang, bouncing off the ground a few times before disappearing. I let out a choked cry and took a step forward, wrapping my arms around the boy.

"_Callum!_" I wept. "It's you! It's really you!"

Callum laughed and returned the hug. "I missed you, too."

"I've been looking for you for... for so long! For _four years_!" I said. "Where have you been all this time?! Why did you leave?"

"I had to."

"Huh?" I pulled back and wiped away my tears. "What do you mean?"

"I... had some troubles when I was with you." He noticed the look of horror on my face. "I-I don't mean it like that. I... was having troubles with the darkness."

"What?" I said. _Just like Riku..._

Callum raised his hands a little and stared at them.

"The darkness... it began to seize my heart. I tried to ignore it, but it... grew stronger... I was afraid that if I didn't do anything, I would end up hurting you." he said.

_That sounds awfully familiar..._

"You would never do that." I said, placing my hand over his.

"That's what I thought, but I didn't want to risk anything... so I... left."

Callum's hesitated explanation and refusal to meet my eyes unsettled me.

"Have you been here this entire time?" I said.

"Most of my time, yes." Callum said.

I reached out and took Callum's hands in mine. "I'm just happy that I found you."

Callum looked up and smiled. "Besides, I want to hear the stories you've got. You know, making the Nobodies and Heartless cower and quake from the power of your Keyblade and sarcasm."

I laughed. "It's like you were there." I said. I gasped. "Wait a minute! Where are my friends? Sora! Donald! Goofy!"

"It's okay." Callum said. "I know a shortcut."

Callum snapped his fingers and a portal of darkness appeared behind him. I gave him an uneasy look to match the feeling that churned in my stomach.

"It's all right." Callum said, reaching his hand out to me.

This time, I didn't hesitate to take it. The feeling of his fingers intertwined with mine filled my heart with courage. We walked into the portal.

* * *

><p>"Maybe everything we've done... Maybe it was all for nothing." a voice said. "What am I supposed to do if I can't use the Keyblade?!"<p>

"Sora." I said.

"We're close." Callum said.

"Wait... my friends are... here?"

We were wondering among the Corridors of Darkness, Callum told me. Everything was black and void and it brought back very unpleasant feelings and recollections.

"How in the world did _they_ end up _here_?" I said.

"That... I don't know..." Callum said.

"Kairi! Riku!" I heard Sora's voice. It sounded close.

"Sora!" I called.

It was silent for a moment.

"Hallie?!" Donald cried.

"Sora! Donald! Goofy!" I called.

I let go of Callum's hand and ran forward.

"H-Hey!" Callum called, running after me.

I saw a tiny speck in the distance. As it grew bigger and developed more distinct colors and features, I ran faster.

"Guys!" I said.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy turned around. When they saw me, they smiled.

"Hallie!" the three cried.

Donald ran towards me and jumped up to hug me. I laughed.

"I missed you too, Donald." I said.

Callum came running up beside me. He leaned over and tried to catch his breath.

"Man..." he said. "I don't recall you being able to run this fast."

"The Organization!" Donald cried.

He leaped off of me and the three boys drew out their weapons.

"Wait!" I cried, jumping in front of Callum with my arms stretched out to the side. "He's not an Organization member. He's my friend."

"Huh?"

I stepped to the side.

"Guys, this is Callum." I said. "Callum, this is Sora, Donald, and Goofy."

"Hiya." Callum said, waving awkwardly.

"Ohh..." Sora said, dispelling his Keyblade. He walked up to Callum. "So _this_ is Callum..."

"I see you've mentioned me." Callum said.

"Um... maybe once." I said, blushing and holding my hands together behind me.

"You know, you guys kind of look alike." Sora said, looking between the two of us.

"Really? I've never noticed that before..." Callum said.

"Hey, look!" Donald cried.

We looked to see another man cloaked in black standing with a white box.

"Who's there?!" Donald said.

The man set the box down and disappeared in a portal of darkness. Donald ran over and picked up the box.

"Are ya sure you wanna open..." Goofy said. Donald opened the box. "...that?"

Donald reached inside and pulled out a photo. He handed it to Sora. I looked over his shoulder to take a closer look at it.

"Gawrsh, it's the gang from Twilight Town. There's Hayner, Pence, Olette... and uh, um..." Goofy said.

I stared at the boy standing next to Hayner and Pence. It wasn't who I saw at Twilight Town, but he looked _exactly_ like him, right down to the ocean blue eyes, with the exception of slightly different clothing.

"Roxas." Sora and I said. We looked at each other in surprise.

"You know him?" Donald said.

"No... the name just popped into my head..." Sora said.

"Me too." I said. "_This_ is Roxas."

Donald pulled out a light blue ice cream bar.

"Are ya sure you wanna eat..." Goofy said. Donald chomped down on the ice cream bar. "...that?"

"Salty... No... sweet!" Donald gushed.

Suddenly, the ice cream bar flashed with light and lifted up from Donald's hand into the air. Sora and I looked at each other. We traveled to the heart of the world and sealed the keyhole.

"Hey, Sora..." I said.

"Yeah?" Sora said.

"Can I, um... hang on to that photo?"

"Sure."

Sora handed me the photo and I looked at it.

"How come you want it?" Sora said.

"I don't know... just this feeling I have." I said. "I want to return it."

"Okay, then. The next time we stop by Twilight Town, you can give it back to Hayner, Pence, and Olette."

"Right... Okay."

But I wasn't talking about them.

* * *

><p>"A photo and some ice cream? Hmm. Wonder if they're some sorta clue? And who woulda left 'em for us, anyway?" Goofy said once we were back on the Gummi Ship.<p>

"Riku?" Sora speculated.

"Ya think?"

"Just this feeling I got."

"Look! We're almost there!" Donald said.

Sora turned to me. "What if the Heartless are back again? We can't use the Keyblade- that would only help the Organization."

"But if we don't use the Keyblades, the Heartless will hurt people and worlds." I said. "I don't think we have any choice... We have to protect our friends."

Sora bowed his head and gripped the steering wheel. Something clicked inside of me.

_Demyx once mentioned Roxas before..._ _and... something about a traitor? Axel's a Nobody, and he's rebelling against the Organization. Maybe Roxas was a Nobody, too?_ _But... Demyx also mentioned Callum..._ _No, what am I thinking? Crazy talk, that's what it is. Still... this Roxas boy. Demyx called Sora that name back at Olympus Coliseum. _Several_ times, in fact_._ Does that mean...?_

I shook my head and walked out of the control room. The door to Sora's room opened and Callum stepped out. His black cloak laid on the extra bed. He wore a fitted maroon shirt with a crew neckline that hugged his body and showed off his muscular biceps and torso, black pleated flared pants, and black boots. He had a black ring on his left hand's ring finger with connected thin brown cords wrapped around his toned arm, all the way to his elbow. Two golden belts crisscrossed into an X across his chest and around the waist of his pants, and more gold lined the bottom rim of his boots. The toes of his boots curled up slightly.

"How do I look?" Callum said, stretching his arms out to his sides.

"Um..." I mumbled, trying to keep the fire in my cheeks to a light simmer. "Nice."


	25. Welcoming Committee

**CHAPTER TWENTY FIVE**

The male personage walked along the now empty Great Maw. Each step he took left a smoking imprint in the ground that churned with darkness as black as his bodysuit.

"I must say..." he said to himself. "An amateur that she is, she did somewhat well at this."

A portal of darkness appeared next to him. The male personage summoned his Keyblade, Void Gear, ready to pounce on whoever lurked on the other side of the portal, but when they stepped out, he lowered his Keyblade and dispelled it. A girl sauntered out of the portal. She placed her hands on her hips and smirked as the portal behind her disappeared.

Her straight blond hair was cut short into a bob. Her bangs rested on her forehead and swept to the right with some hair falling loosely into her eyes and along the sides of her face. Her blood red eyes sparkled mischievously with a sinister twist, like a defiant child's. She wore a black sleeveless halter top with two red belts around her waist crisscrossed into an X, and a black leather choker collar with two chains connecting to a heart with a lock in the middle. She wore a long black sweeper with red interior and feathery detailing around the collar. She wore a black lacy skirt and her legs were covered in sheer, black stockings decorated with red Heartless symbols, leaving a section of her midthighs bare. She wore black ankle boots on her feet and a long black glove on her right arm that extended to her bicep and had dark red feathery detailing around her wrist and at the end. A necklace with a black Heartless symbol rested underneath her choker collar on her decolletage and a small red heart clip pinned back some hair on the left side of her head.

The male personage stared at the girl. He chuckled.

"Took you long enough." he said, crossing his arms.

"Is that anyway to greet me?" the girl said, leaning forward towards the boy. "Here I am, having been trapped in that rotten prison for what, seven years? And I come back to no welcoming committee, no fireworks display? Not even a simple hello? I'm rather disappointed in you."

She flashed him a cheeky grin and the boy remained silent.

"I see you had no problem breaking away." she said. "Believe me, I would have come busting out much sooner, but those stupid friends of hers are relentless, all about "fighting for what's right" and "protecting the light" and "the power of friendship". Ugh, just put me out of my misery now! It wasn't until Xemnas came along and she finally snapped like a twig. But oh boy, am I glad to be back!"

A Shadow Heartless emerged from the ground. The girl crouched down and petted its head. The Shadow purred and stroked its antennae against her leg. The girl scooped the Heartless into her arms.

"At least Veni gives me the proper welcome." She lifted the Heartless to her face and Eskimo-kissed it. She felt the continuing glare of the boy on her and she turned back to him. "Well?"

"I'm... really glad to see you." the boy said.

The girl giggled. "I'm glad to see you, too. You have no idea. Now, will you take off that darn helmet? I haven't seen your face in so long, and I'm tired of seeing that stupid Keyblade boy's face whenever I tried to think of you."

The boy chuckled again. His helmet began to melt away. As it did, the girl's smile widened. Veni squirmed in her arms, but she held it tight to her chest.

"See? Much better." the girl said.

The boy looked at the girl with a bitter smile that showed small glimpses of tenderness. His yellow eyes had a similar mischievous twinkle in them as hers, but also with a sense of relief. His black hair maintained its spikiness, despite having it smushed under a helmet for who knows how long.

"So, how's Mr. Bossman been, Spike?" the girl said.

"Why don't you ask him that yourself?" the boy said. "And I have a name."

"Yes, I know..." the girl stepped closer. She stood up on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek. "...Vanitas."

Veni the Shadow wriggled out of the girl's arms and disappeared into the darkness. Vanitas laced his arm around the girl's waist and pulled her closer. He stretched out his other hand and a portal of darkness appeared.

"What? Right now? Hello? Trapped for _seven years_?" the girl said. "Can't I spend some time with you before he drowns me in missions?"

The girl pouted and crossed her arms.

"Later, after you've swam to shore." Vanitas said. "C'mon, 'Mr. Bossman' is waiting for us, and I'm sure he's dying to hear the stories you have."


	26. Doused in Gasoline

**CHAPTER TWENTY SIX**

Seeing the desolate ruins of the mountain village brought back that sense of remorse. We walked through its charred remains.

"I wonder how everyone's doin'?" Goofy said.

"Look!" Donald cried.

Standing at the mountain foot, we saw a man in a black coat. He turned around and looked at us before taking off into the mountain.

"Wait!" Sora cried.

"Sora!" We turned around to see Mulan running up to us.

"Mulan, hey. No time to talk. We gotta catch that guy!"

"I'm following him, too."

"Then let's go!" Donald said.

* * *

><p>We walked up to the mountain ridge and looked around. Mulan tapped on Sora's shoulder and pointed forward. The mysterious man ran up the mountain. We ran up to the summit, but he was gone.<p>

"Looks like he got away." Mulan said.

"Why were you following him, anyways?" I asked.

"Do you know him?"

"He's a member of Organization XIII." Callum said.

"One of the bad guys!" Donald cried, crossing his arms.

"I knew it! There's a rumor in the Imperial City about a spy in black, lurking in the mountains." Mulan said. "I'd been up here tracking him, but when you arrived, I lost him."

"Aw..." Sora said.

"Sorry." I said.

Mulan smiled. "Don't apologize. But I do wonder where he went."

We looked around, but there was nothing but mountain and snow. I heard a strange warping sound coming from the hill crest above us. As I stared up at it, there was a loud chirping noise and a wave of Rapid Thrusters emerged from the hill crest and made their way towards us.

"Again?!" Donald said.

"No problem." I said. "We did this before, we can do it again."

As Donald, Goofy, Mulan, and Callum ran towards the Heartless, I heard something behind me. I turned and the mysterious man stood there. Sora saw him too.

"Hey, you!" Sora cried. "Quit sneaking around!"

The mysterious man raised his hand and pointed at Sora. Sora looked at him quizzically. He looked behind us and gasped.

"Look out, Hallie!" Sora cried.

I turned around as a group of Rapid Thrusters came at us. I summoned Chaos Ripper and leaped up into the air. When a Rapid Thruster was parallel with me, I slashed it downward in the rear, flipped forward, and landed crouched on one knee. The Rapid Thruster zoomed forward, past the mysterious man and into the misty fog. I turned around and struck my battle stance. Sora and I fought against the mysterious man, who summoned a strange Keyblade of his own, Way to Dawn, while also fending ourselves against the Rapid Thrusters. After a minute or so, the mysterious man jumped back and stood there, staring at us. He gestured with his arm in a way that I didn't understand and he took off down the mountain.

"Wait!" Sora cried.

We ran forward a few steps before pausing.

"That Keyblade..." Sora said.

"Sora?" I said.

"That guy... why... would he?" he said. "Riku?"

Sora ran forward to the summit top and stopped, looking down the mountain.

"You think that was Riku?" I said as I approached Sora.

"I recognize that Keyblade anywhere..." Sora said. "But, why would he dress like the Organization?"

"I don't know..."

The others came up to us.

"Sora? Did ya get 'im?" Goofy said.

"Hmm... Oh- he's gone." Sora said. He turned around and scratched the back of his head.

"What?! You lost him?" Donald said.

"Sorry, we kind of had that army of Heartless to deal with." I said.

"Anyway... what now?" Sora said.

"I think that we better get rid of all the Heartless first." Goofy said.

Donald nodded and all of a sudden, the mountain began to rumble violently.

"Another avalanche?!" I cried.

The rumbling stopped.

"What was that?" Mulan said. "Come on, we better get off the mountain."

We walked over to the mountain path. I turned around to see Sora looking at the empty space of snow.

"Sora?" I said.

He shook his head and looked at me.

"I'm fine." Sora said.

Suddenly, the ground began to rumble again. A spot in the mountain exploded, spraying snow down on us. Out from the snow emerged a Storm Rider. It let out a roar. We took out our weapons, ready to fight. The Storm Rider flew out of the mountains and towards the Imperial City.

"It's heading for the city!" Mulan cried. "We've got to warn Shang!"

* * *

><p>We entered the palace courtyard, but it was quiet and empty.<p>

"Huh? Everything's fine." Sora said.

"Well, now..." a voice said.

Yao, Ling, and Chien-Po walked up to us. I scowled and crossed my arms.

"Look who decided to show up." Yao said.

"What? Is that a problem?" Donald said.

"Nah!" Ling said.

"We're just glad you're not in black cloaks." Chien-Po said.

"Black cloaks?" I said. "Did you see the mysterious man?"

"Yeah- he's in the palace." Yao said.

We ran towards the palace, but were stopped by Assault Riders and Bolt Towers. We took them out and ran over to the palace. Sora, Donald, and Goofy ran to the palace door and pounded their fists against it, trying to get it open.

"Open up!" Sora cried.

Sora grabbed the palace knocker and tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Over here!" Mulan said.

We followed her to one of the pillars. Sora, Donald, and Goofy didn't hesitate as they ran forward and jumped onto the pillar.

"You want us to climb THIS?" Callum said.

"Do you have any other idea?" I said as I jumped onto the pillar and started climbing.

We climbed to the top of the pillar and into the palace ceiling beams. Down the hallway at the doors into the palace room was a man wearing a black cloak. We jumped down from the ceiling, trying to be quiet, but Donald lost his balance and fell to the ground. We ran towards the man.

"Wait!" Mulan cried.

The man stopped and turned around.

This man was different than the one we saw in the mountains. His cloak's shoulders were more pointed, the sleeves were more fitted, and his body build was skinnier.

Sora didn't seem to notice. He stepped forward.

"...Riku?" Sora said.

Donald and Goofy looked at each other. The man reached up and took off his hood.

I think if I ever saw this Riku, I'm sure he wouldn't look like this guy. This man had golden yellow eyes, pointed elf-like ears, and long black hair with gray streaks tied back into a ponytail. He wore a black eye patch on his right eye and his left cheek sported a jagged scar. The man smirked.

"Nope, never heard of him." the man laughed.

That voice. I recognized it. I stepped back next to Callum, who locked himself in a staring contest with the man with paled skin and fear in his eyes. The Organization member smirked.

Sniper Nobodies surrounded us. I looked to the doors, but the man wasn't there. I heard a tinkling sound and I turned to see the man running for the palace doors.

"Hey, wait!" I cried.

The man turned back and flashed a sinister grin at me.

"Catch'ya later, Hallie!" the man said as he summoned a portal of darkness and disappeared.

I gasped. That was the same Organization member from when I first came to Hollow Bastion.

_Xigbar._

"Why does everyone in the Organization know my name?!" I cried.

I clenched my fist and summoned Chaos Ripper. The Snipers raised their bows and shot at us. Sora and I zoomed forward, causing the shots to stop in their place, and we kicked them with our feet towards the Snipers, taking them out one by one. I looked over to Callum and I gasped. He swerved around a Sniper and raised his weapon to the Sniper: a Keyblade.

_Omega Weapon. Why in the world does Callum have a Keyblade?_

The Sniper whirled around, took its bow and slammed it Callum's chest. He flew back and sprawled against the ground.

"Callum!" I cried.

I leaped forward and onto the back of the Sniper. I took Chaos Ripper and stabbed the Sniper in the chest. I yanked Chaos Ripper out, grabbed the Nobody by the head, and flipped over. As I flipped, I chucked the Nobody at the wall and it disintegrated as soon as it hit the wall. I landed on one knee and stood up. I breathed heavily and turned to Callum. For a moment, I thought he was staring at me, but tracing his eyes, I found that he was staring at my Keyblade.

"Where did you... get that?" Callum said. His tone wasn't so much curious, but more frightened.

"I've had this since... um, I can't remember." I said, holding out Chaos Ripper. Callum scooted away. "Is something wrong?"

"Uh... no, no..." Callum scrambled to his feet.

I dispelled my Keyblade, placed my hands on my hips and leaned forward towards him.

"So, when were you going to tell me that YOU had a Keyblade?" I said. "And do you have any idea who that Organization member was? Your face sure said so."

"Oh, uh..." Callum said, looking away. "He's a creature of the darkness; an empty abyss of nothing. He and the other members want to form their own Kingdom Hearts and destroy the worlds! Aren't _you_ afraid of him?"

I stared at him in disbelief before turning my attention to the others.

"Guess it wasn't Riku." Goofy said.

Sora crossed his arms and looked at the floor.

"Sorry, Sora." I said. "I know you were hoping..."

"It's all right." Sora said.

"I can't stay. I'm worried about Shang." Mulan said.

"Oh! Right!"

I hesitated and watched Callum as everyone ran to the doors.

Organization XIII wants to create _another_ Kingdom Hearts? I didn't know that. And I never told Callum about the Organization's plan. How does he know?

* * *

><p>We ran into the palace room. The Emperor sat in his throne and Shang stood next to him.<p>

"Your Excellency! Shang! Something terrible has happened!" Mulan said. "We saw a huge monster fly out of the mountains and toward the city!"

"Ahh. So it is as the young man said." The Emperor said. "Isn't that right, Captain?"

"Y-yes, Your Excellency." Shang said.

"Young man? What young man?" I said.

"You see, a young stranger visited us not long ago." The Emperor said. "The Captain fought the visitor, but was quickly defeated."

Shang bowed his head. "To my dishonor."

"It seems that young man was the one in black that I have heard whispers about."

"Did he mention the name Riku?" Sora said.

"He didn't offer his name. He was rather rude."

"Rude? Then it WAS Riku!"

"Riku's in the Organization?" Donald whispered.

"Gawrsh..." Goofy said.

"There must be a reason why." I said.

"But why would he come here?" Mulan said.

Sora crossed his arms. The room suddenly rumbled violently.

"We'll check outside." Mulan said.

"Mulan!" Shang said as we turned around to leave.

"Shang- guard the Emperor! I'll be fine- with them!"

"Th-that's right!" Sora said.

"Don't worry, you're in good hands!" I said, giving Shang a thumbs up.

"Indeed." The Emperor said. "That is true: We need not worry while you protect us."

"Hurry!" Donald squawked impatiently behind us.

* * *

><p>Mulan and I pushed the palace door open. Suddenly, the Storm Rider appeared at the door and roared. We screamed and backed away. Callum put his hand on my shoulder for assurance. I nodded and we ran outside. The Storm Rider glided through the air above us. As we watched it, the Heartless turned around and dove down towards us. We jumped out of the way as it flew low to the ground.<p>

"Guys, come on!" Sora cried.

We ran after the Storm Rider and one-by-one grabbed onto its tail and climbed on its back. Its horns sparked with electricity. We attacked it until it let out a roar.

"You might want to hang on to something!" Sora called.

He clung himself onto one of the spikes that ran down the Storm Rider's back. I cried out as the Heartless prepared itself to spin. I felt a hand grab my arm. Sora pulled me over to him and I instinctively wrapped my arms around his waist. As the Storm Rider flipped upside down, I screamed as I felt my legs dangle in the air. I watched everyone else fall from the Storm Rider's back and land on the ground using the mini wind tornados. Once the Storm Rider finished its tumbling, I let go and summoned Chaos Ripper back to my side. With a grunt, I swung my Keyblade and cut a section of the Storm Rider's horn clean off. The Storm Rider let out another roar as his severed horn fell to the ground and disappeared.

"Now you made him angry!" Sora said.

Electric sparks exploded around us. Some of them accidentally struck the Heartless it created. We attacked the other horn. The Storm Rider let out another "GET OFF OF ME" roar. We repeated the routine: Sora holding onto the horn and me holding onto him. The Storm Rider flipped upside down. When it was right-side up again, I let go.

"Wait, Hallie!" Sora cried.

"Huh?" I said.

The Storm Rider flipped over again. Sora shot out his hand, just missing mine, and grabbed the leather cords on my arm.

My body filled with a burning pain, like my insides were doused in gasoline and lit them on fire. I clawed at my arm, screaming bloody murder. Sora widened his eyes in horror. I summoned Chaos Ripper in my left hand. I took the butt of my Keyblade and smashed it into Sora's hand. He cried out and let go of me. I fell to the ground, landing on my feet, but I quickly collapsed to my knees and clutched my arm. I took deep, groaning breaths as my skin felt like it was melting off. After blinking away the tears, I looked up to see Sora still riding on the top of the Storm Rider. He summoned his Keyblade with an angry scowl on his face and he swung it, taking the other horn off. The Heartless let out another painful shriek. Sora turned his Keyblade over upside down and stabbed the Storm Rider in the back, right where the heart would be. The Heartless's roar turned into a wretched gurgling noise. It spiraled to the ground. Sora backflipped off of the Storm Rider's back and landed on the ground in a three-point landing. Sora sprinted over to me.

"Hallie, are you okay?" Sora said.

"Yeah..." I said, looking at my arm. The pain faded and a dull throb took its place. My arm looked fine, as if nothing had happened.

"I... I didn't mean to hurt you. I'm so sorry..."

I looked up at Sora and he stared at the ground in bitter remorse with his fists clenched. He even looked on the verge of tears. I laid my hand on his arm.

"I'm fine. Really." I said. "Thanks for saving me."

Sora looked up at me and sighed. He helped me up.

As the Storm Rider fell, its landing was pinpointed right on top of Mulan. She stood there in horror.

"Mulan!" Shang cried.

He sprinted over to her and shielded her. The Storm Rider's body began to fade, and when it reached Shang and Mulan, they phased right through it. A large heart emerged from the Heartless and disappeared, along with the Storm Rider's body.

"Nice work!" Callum said.

Shang helped Mulan up and they smiled at each other. We cleared our throats and gave them teasing looks. They looked over at us, at each other, then backed away.

Above the palace, fireworks exploded in the air, casting colors of green, red, gold, and blue across the overcast sky.

* * *

><p>We were back in the palace room. Donald, Goofy, Sora, me, Callum, and Mulan stood respectively in a line before the Emperor and Chang.<p>

"Once again, you have served China well." The Emperor said. "It would please me to reward you. What is it that you wish?"

Donald rubbed his hands together. Goofy's stomach growled and he rubbed it with a dreamy look on his face. They looked to Sora hopefully.

"Well..." Sora said. "You say a guy in black came to see you. What did he say?"

"_That_ is all you request?" the Emperor said.

"Yes."

Donald and Goofy slumped forward.

"Dragons have crossed our land and left a great web of paths. These dragons wield much power, and they are the source of many gifts to both man and nature." The Emperor said. "But it would seem someone of evil intent disturbed one of our dragons, and transformed it into what you call a Heartless. It is my belief that this young man came to warn me of that danger. Then, I could alert and prepare my troops."

"Did you?" Sora said.

The Emperor chuckled. "I was about to, but he told me the situation had changed."

"He said three "wise guys" and their babysitter had arrived, and they would take care of things." Shang said.

Donald squawked in confusion, Goofy guffawed, and Sora smiled.

"That's gotta be Riku!" Sora said.

Donald and Goofy exchanged worried glances with each other and me.

"But what's he doin' hangin' out with Organization XIII?" Goofy said.

"No idea." Sora said. "He might have a reason why. Like Callum."

"Huh?" Callum and I said.

"You were dressed like a member of the Organization. You were probably trying to blend in with them and keep yourself hidden. The King's doing it too, so maybe Riku's following along. At least I finally know he's okay. That's good enough."

"Yeah, that's good!" Donald said.

I glanced at Callum, but he stared at the ground.

"Now then, Fa Mulan. Do you have a request?" the Emperor said.

"I'd like Shang... I-I mean... well... The Captain..." Mulan said.

"Yes, yes, my dear. What is it?"

"Could the Captain have a vacation, please?"

Shang looked at Mulan surprised.

"I hardly expected such humble requests." The Emperor chuckled. "In this case, I'm afraid I must refuse. Captain Li's responsibility is to protect the Emperor. And yet, Mulan..."

"Yes?" Mulan stood at attention.

"Would you like to serve alongside him and protect me?"

"What?" Shang and Mulan said.

"Two reeds together are stronger than one. But the choice is yours alone."

Mulan smiled and bowed. "Thank you, your Excellency!"

Shang stepped closer to Mulan and they smiled at each other. Sora smiled and wiped his eyes. I nudged him with my shoulder. He looked at me and smiled sheepishly. I laughed and his smile suddenly became more genuine and tender.


	27. Stay With Me

**CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN**

As we walked into Beast's Castle, we saw the Beast pacing the floor. He was dressed in a blue and yellow jacket, an orange vest underneath, and black pants. His hair was tied back in a blue bow, and his posture was nice and straight compared to his usual hunch. As he paced, he grumbled and growled to himself, constantly looking up the stairs.

"Hey there!" Sora called.

"Wow, you're looking pretty sharp tonight." I said.

Donald looked around the room. "No Heartless and no Nobodies!"

"I think they're close, though..." Goofy said.

"Better watch out!" Sora said.

Callum looked around the room suspiciously. Beast glanced again at the staircase and turned to us with a scowl.

"What's with the grumpy face?" I said, crossing my arms.

"Why are you here?" Beast said.

"The Nobodies' world has to be out there somewhere." Sora said. "We're looking for a way in."

"Hmph."

Suddenly, the wardrobe tumbled down the stairs.

"Master! Master! Belle is in need of some assistance!" she said.

Sora, Donald, and Goofy stepped forward.

"Oh, not from YOU!" the three boys cowered back. The wardrobe locked eyes with me. "Her!"

"Me?!" I said. "Why? What for?"

"Don't question the magical talking furniture." Callum said, shoving me forward.

* * *

><p>I slowly followed the wardrobe through the east wing. We came to Belle's room, where she paced the floor, similar to Beast. When she saw me, she smiled and gave me a hug.<p>

"It's so good to see you again, Hallie!" Belle said.

"You, uh, need my help with something?" I said. "Is everything okay?"

"Ohhh, I don't know... I'm just so nervous about tonight."

"How come the Beast is so dressed up?"

"He's holding a ball for me. He's so sweet. I'm glad that you're here."

"Why? Are there Heartless or Nobodies around?"

The wardrobe stepped next to Belle. Belle reached over and opened the doors, revealing dozens of dresses inside.

"No... I don't have a clue on what I should wear!"

I stared at Belle in disbelief.

"...and you want me to help?" I said. "I'm the _last_ person to help you with that!"

"Oh, please, would you?" Belle said, clasping her hands together.

I groaned. "Fine..."

Belle smiled and sifted through her dresses. I watched as a flurry of colorful fabrics were taken out, examined carefully, and tossed aside with a quick shake of the head and a frustrated sigh.

"Wait a minute..." Belle said.

"What?" I said.

Belle reached deep into her closet and pulled out a dress very different from the others. It was a Grecian chiffon high low dress. The top part was white with black straps that wrapped around the chest in an X and was decorated with gold sequins and cap sleeves. The skirt was brown and silky.

"I've... never seen this dress before." Belle said.

"What do you mean? It's in your closet." I said.

"I don't recall ever getting it. Besides, it looks far too nice for me, and I believe it might be a bit too small on me."

Belle looked at the dress, glanced over at me, and smiled.

"But... it might fit you." she said.

"What?!" I jumped back. "You want me to wear that? No way!"

"Please? Tonight is a special night for me."

I crossed my arms.

"It could very well be a special night for you, too. Perhaps for you and your friend."

My cheeks grew hotter the longer I stared at the dress.

"Ohhh... all right!" I said, snatching away the dress. Belle smiled.

* * *

><p>I gulped as I looked at myself in the mirror. Belle was right, this dress was my size. In fact, it fit me perfectly. The front part of the skirt ended just above my knees and the back part ended at the back of my knees. I fumbled with my hands and stared at my reflection while I waited for Belle. She stepped out dressed in a beautiful yellow ball gown. Her hair was pulled up in a half-up-half-down hairstyle, with some collected up in a bun and the rest flowing down her shoulders.<p>

"Oh, you look absolutely beautiful!" Belle said, placing a hand over her heart.

"Thanks." I said awkwardly. "You look really pretty."

"Now, all we need are the finishing touches."

Belle decorated my waterfall braid with little daisies. She found some tall brown gladiator sandals at the bottom of her closet, again claiming that she's never seen them before. I tried them on and they fit perfectly as well. We observed the after look in the mirror. Belle stood behind me and rested her gloved hands on my shoulders.

"I think you're ready." Belle said.

"To go out there?!" I said, turning to her. "Sorry, Belle. It was nice to play dress-up, but there is NO way that I'm going out there like this!"

Belle pouted and stared at me with puppy-dog eyes. I could feel myself cracking.

"FINE." I grumbled, crossing my arms.

Belle smiled, grabbed my arm, and dragged me out of the room.

* * *

><p>I bet Belle expected a more graceful descent from the stairs, but with me, it was anything but. She had to drag me down the stairs while I grumbled and protested. I'm sure she looked elegant as she walked, but I was the exact opposite.<p>

"Hallie?" a collection of all of my friends' voices said.

I gulped and faced them. I walked down the stairs and over to their gaping mouths and widened eyes.

"Hi." I said sheepishly.

"What happened to YOU?" Donald said.

"Gee, thanks." I rolled my eyes. "Belle needed help, and in the meantime, she did this."

"You look... nice." Sora said, staring at me like I was a different person.

I looked over at Callum. He stared at me as well, but his look was more terrified than surprised.

"Is something wrong, Callum?" I said.

"Duhh, um... no..." Callum said. "It's just... where did you get that dress? And those shoes?"

I raised my eyebrow at him.

"Belle found them in her closet. You should've seen the shock on her face." I said. "She said she's never seen these things before. They seem to fit me just fine."

Callum gulped and looked away. We turned to Belle and the Beast. We watched them bow to each other, link arms, and journey into the ballroom.

"Uh, maybe we came at a bad time." Goofy said.

"Are you kidding me?" I said, stealing a glance at Callum. "No way am I traveling around like this. I might as well make the most of tonight."

* * *

><p>Belle and the Beast walked to the middle of the ballroom. They turned to each other.<p>

"Now then, Monsieur, Mademoiselle. Please, enjoy the evening." Lumiere said. Everyone turned to us as we stepped into the room. Goofy waved. "And of course, our honored guests are welcome, too."

"A welcome, indeed." a chilling voice echoed in the room.

Belle and the Beast clung to each other. Sora, Callum, and I ran further into the ballroom and looked around. Standing above us on the higher balcony was a man dressed in a black coat.

"The Organization!" Sora cried.

"Xaldin!" I said.

"You don't know when to quit." Xaldin said.

"Oh yeah! We'll show you!" Donald said.

"Get out!" The Beast roared. He tore himself away from Belle and ran towards Xaldin.

"Not tonight!" Belle said. I laid a hand on her shoulder.

Xaldin snapped his fingers and Dragoon Nobodies appeared. Beast ran forward and easily destroyed three Nobodies with a quick swipe of his claws.

"I've come to take something you hold very dear."

Beast let out a ferocious roar.

"Yes. Let your anger grow..." Xaldin said as he disappeared into darkness.

"Beast! We have to get rid of these guys first!" Sora said.

"I never thought I would fight monsters in a dress." I said, summoning Chaos Ripper.

A Dragoon appeared and stabbed its spear into the ground right in front of me. I jumped back.

"Two can play at that game!" I said.

I jumped in the air and stabbed my Keyblade into the Dragoon in the same manner. It disappeared. As some Dusks approached me, I sidestepped to confuse them before attacking.

"Where's Belle?!" Sora said once we regathered.

"Over here!" Belle called.

She and the servants emerged from the outside balcony.

"Whew, she's okay." Sora said.

"Guess Xaldin didn't take anything after all." Goofy said.

Beast gasped and ran out of the room.

"What's wrong?" Sora said.

Belle ran after him.

"Belle?" I called.

"What's with them?" Sora said.

"Maybe Belle isn't the only thing precious to the Beast." Goofy said.

"C'mon!" Donald said.

* * *

><p>As we entered Beast's room, he paced the floor yet again. However, this time, he looked totally ticked off. He stopped in the middle of the floor and let out an angry roar as he slammed his fists into the ground.<p>

"What's wrong?" Belle said.

The Beast growled. Belle slowly approached him.

"Please, calm down!" she said.

"Calm down?!" The Beast cried. Belle flinched. "You just had to have a party, didn't you? Don't you see what's happened?"

"Hey, what's with you?" Sora said.

"The rose... My rose..."

We looked to the now empty table at the end of the room where Beast's rose once was.

"What, that? He took it?" Sora said.

"But surely, you can find another rose..." Belle said.

"Silence! You don't know anything!" Beast roared.

"Hey! Knock it off!" I cried. Sora jumped in front of Belle with his arms out to the side.

"That's not fair, Beast. Don't take it out on Belle." Sora said. "It's not like she stole it!"

"I'm sorry..." Belle said.

"You don't have to apologize." Sora said.

"But..."

I walked over and laid a hand on Belle's shoulder. Beast slumped forward and turned away.

"Belle... Sora... I want you to leave the castle." Beast said. "Look at me. Look. This is what I am. When you first got here, I tried to change. But I was only fooling myself. I can't be any different. I'll always be a beast. So, I should live like a beast. With no one, alone. Good-bye, Belle."

"You can't mean that." Belle said, holding her hands over her heart.

The Beast glanced at Belle, then turned away and walked over to the window.

"Aw, I think his mind's all made up." Goofy whispered.

"Yeah..." Sora said.

Belle took my hand off her shoulder and walked away.

"Look, Belle. Leave this to us." Sora said. "If we can get the Beast's rose back, he'll calm down."

Belle nodded, looked back at us, then walked away.

"Poor Belle." I said.

We followed her out of Beast's room. Cogsworth, Ms. Potts, and Lumiere waited for us.

"How could it have come to this?" Ms. Potts said.

"And they were so looking forward to this evening..." Lumiere said.

"Yeah, so was I." I mumbled.

"What was that?" Callum said.

"Nothing!"

"Now, now- no need to be so sad." Ms. Potts said. "Once the rose is back safely, this will all be over."

"What's so special about one rose, anyway?" Sora said.

"If the master can love and be loved in return, the spell will be broken." Cogsworth said. "We'll all be human again."

"They told us this the last time we came." I said, rolling my eyes. "Even _I_ remembered that."

"But there is a time limit." Lumiere said. "He must find his true love before the last petal falls from that rose."

"Ah, but that is not all..." Cogsworth said. "Over time, caring for that rose has become a cherished part of the master's daily life."

"It's as though all his hopes and dreams are tied to that single bloom..." Ms. Potts said.

"Poor Beast!" Sora said. "Then we have to get it back."

"Please do."

"We'll need the Beast's help." I said. "He's got to get the rose back himself if it's that important to him. We should try talking to him."

* * *

><p>We went back into Beast's room, where he still stood mourning.<p>

"Hey, Beast." Sora said.

"Leave me alone." Beast said.

"Come on, you need to hear this." Sora said. "You used to be fearless. You would've given your life to save Belle. Don't you know what that meant to us? You gave us all courage. Hmph, maybe you should have kept some for yourself. I mean, are you really gonna throw your happiness away?"

Beast was quiet.

"The rose is your only hope, isn't it?" Sora continued. "Well, it's the only hope for Cogsworth and the others, too. So, don't throw away your last chance. Remember what it was like before Belle lived here?"

Beast looked out the window.

"We all have people or things that are important to us. But when they're taken away from you, you don't just sit around and mope and mourn forever. You fight for them. You brave whatever may be in your way and you fight to get those things back." I said. I laid a hand over my heart. "You'll want to give up, you might want to quit. But hope is that whisper in our hearts that urges us to keep going, no matter how tired or beaten down we are."

Callum's eyes dropped to the floor in shame. He knew I was talking about him.

"You can't give up. Not now." Sora said.

It was silent again.

"I know one thing." Beast said.

"What?" Sora said.

"This castle belongs to me." Beast growled. "Xaldin will _never _be welcome here!"

We nodded and smiled.

* * *

><p>We ran to the entrance hall.<p>

"So, Beast... you came after all." Xaldin's voice said.

We looked up to see him standing on a ledge that laid below a window above the ballroom door. He was holding the rose.

"You had me worried. I was afraid you've given up for good." Xaldin said.

"What do you guys really want?" Sora called.

"...Kingdom Hearts."

I growled and clenched my fist. Xaldin reached up and took off his hood. His hair was black and styled into dreadlocks, which were pulled back into a ponytail aside from a few that dangled in his face. He had bushy eyebrows and thick sideburns that were parallel to his violet eyes.

"When Kingdom Hearts is ours, we can exist fully and completely." Xaldin smirked.

Donald and Goofy looked at each other.

"So you see, Beast- that's why we need your Heartless AND your Nobody!"

"Your stupid little plan won't work!" I cried.

Xaldin chuckled. "And who are you to say otherwise?"

I clenched my fist and summoned Chaos Ripper as Dragoons Dusks and Assassins appeared before us. When we finished them off, Xaldin floated to the castle doors. He looked back at us, scoffed, and went through the doors.

"He's not getting away that easily." I said.

* * *

><p>We walked to the castle courtyard and looked around.<p>

"Huh?" I heard Goofy say.

I followed his line of sight over to Belle, who leaned over her balcony and stared down at the ground in a melancholic faze. She had changed out of her ball gown and was back into her regular blue dress.

_Oh sure, SHE gets to change..._

Belle looked down and saw us. Goofy and I waved as Donald jumped up and down, squawking at us. She stood up in surprise and retreated to the door. I watched her bend down and pick something up. She ran to the balcony edge and I saw something pink and shimmery in her arms.

"Look! It's the rose!" Belle cried.

Suddenly, Xaldin came up behind her and covered her mouth with his cloaked hand.

"Belle!" Beast cried.

Xaldin picked up Belle and the rose and leaped from the balcony to the other side of the castle.

"Hurry!" Sora cried as we ran to the outside doors.

Beast lunged at the door and broke it open with his shoulder. Looking up at the castle from this view, it looked even more ominous and larger from the outside. We ran onto the bridge. Xaldin stood at the other side holding Belle in one arm and the rose in another.

"You! Get out of my castle, now!" Beast cried.

"With pleasure, but I'd rather travel light..." Xaldin said. "What shall I leave behind? Belle? Or the rose?"

Beast growled. "Belle!" He ran towards them.

Belle broke free of Xaldin's hold and elbowed him hard in the stomach. As Xaldin doubled over in pain, she grabbed the rose from his other hand and ran away with a triumphant smile on her face.

"Way to go, Belle!" I called as she ran past.

Beast ran towards Xaldin and slashed at him with his claws, but Xaldin disappeared and reappeared before the gates that lead into the woods. He glared at us and raised his arms in an X formation above his head. Funnels of black, electric darkness swirled around him in a circle. They dispersed and revealed six purple spears, similar to that of a Dragoon. They disappeared momentarily. Xaldin reached his hands out, grabbing one spear with his left hand and two in the other. He floated in the air with three more spears circling about him.

Xaldin disappeared suddenly, then appeared right above us. He came down with his spears and stabbed downward. I jumped right out of the way, quietly learning this jumping technique. I looked around me and saw spears rapidly circling around me.

"Look out, Hallie!" Callum cried.

I shot my hands out to the sides of me. A shimmering white barrier appeared around me like a dome, blocking the spears that threatened to shred me to pieces. The spears flew back into Xaldin, striking him. Sora and Callum ran over with his Keyblade and attacked Xaldin with a combined Aerial Finish.

Xaldin flew back. All of his spears wedged into the stone bridge. They all disappeared in pillars of light. Xaldin let out an agonizing scream as he and his weapons disappeared.

* * *

><p>We stood once again in the castle courtyard. Belle and the Beast stood facing each other. Belle held the rose in her hands.<p>

"Here. It's yours again." Belle said, handing the rose to Beast.

"Belle..." Beast said.

"I know. You want me to leave the castle."

"What matters is... You weren't hurt by Xaldin. You're safe."

We all sighed in relief and smiled.

"And... I'm very grateful to you... for bringing the rose back to me." Beast said. "Thank you."

Belle giggled and smiled.

"It's the least I could do. You've been good to me. And you didn't have to be." Belle said.

"Listen, Belle..." Beast said.

"Yes?"

The Beast gulped and looked over at us.

"Say it!" Sora said.

"Go on!" Lumiere said.

"C'mon!" Donald cried.

"You can do it!" Ms. Potts said.

"We have confidence!" Cogsworth said.

"Don't be bashful, now." Goofy said.

I had nothing left to add, so I just giggled and nodded. The Beast turned to Belle.

"Belle, I'd like you to stay..." Beast said. "With me... Please?"

A smile grew on Belle's face. She offered her hand to the Beast. He took it and they held each other in a waltzing fashion.

"I will." Belle said.

"Maestro- music!" Lumiere said.

We watched Belle and the Beast dance together. The Beast twirled Belle around.

"Hey, did you see the look on Belle's face when she grabbed that rose?" Sora said, placing his hands behind his head.

"Yep, she sure was havin' fun, all right." Goofy said.

"She is rather unique, isn't she?" Lumiere said.

"Always ready for a little adventure." Ms. Potts said.

I watched Belle's smile on her face grow wider with each step they took. I sighed and smiled to myself.

"Oh, yeah. You never told us why you were wearing that dress in the first place, Hallie." Sora said.

"Huh?" I looked down at myself and saw that I was still wearing the dress. I held my hands together behind my back. "I don't know... Belle suggested that I try and make tonight special for me as well. I guess things didn't go the way I hoped."

"Well, if it helps, I think you look really pretty."

My cheeks flared up. "Thanks."

We smiled at each other.

"The two of them do seem made for each other." Cogsworth said, referring to Belle and Beast.

"Yeah, they sure do." Callum said. I turned my head to him. He stared at Belle and Beast with a shameful grimace.

"Callum?" I said.

"I never really thought about... how much you were effected when I left." he said. He looked down at his hands and slowly clenched them. "The pain you must've gone through... and yet you kept fighting just to find me. And where was I? Hanging around a giant castle for four years, doing nothing but be pathetic. I... I'm sorry, Hallie."

I smiled and took his hand. He looked at me in surprise.

"That doesn't matter anymore." I said. "Because I have you back. And this time, I plan to never lose you again."

Callum's smile overflowed with hopeful excitement. He squeezed my hand and we returned our gazes to the dancing couple before us.


End file.
